


Why Can't I Find the Words to Tell You?

by bi_scotti



Category: Howl's Moving Castle - All Media Types, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Howl's Moving Castle Fusion, Alternate Universe - Magic, Background Jirou Kyouka/Yaoyorozu Momo - Freeform, Background Tsukauchi Naomasa/Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Bisexual Midoriya Izuku, Bisexual Uraraka Ochako, Gay Todoroki Shouto, Implied Asui Tsuyu/Uraraka Ochako, Lesbian Yaoyorozu Momo, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining Midoriya Izuku, Please read the howl's moving castle book its good, Slow Burn, Todoroki Shouto Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-06-22 23:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 134,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15592914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bi_scotti/pseuds/bi_scotti
Summary: Izuku Midoriya is eighteen years old and still living at home helping his mother run their hat shop, when a chance encounter with a beautiful and mysterious wizard changes the course his life completely! Unforeseen consequences of their meeting leave Izuku under a powerful curse that he cannot tell anyone about, but must find a way to break for the sake of himself and all he cares about. Will he be able to save himself, and can he find a way to save this mysterious wizard before it is too late for them both?(Howl's Moving Castle Au, where Todoroki is a powerful wizard and Izuku works in a hat shop.)(I swear I will post Chapter 31 some day I just had to stop writing mid chapter because college is hectic! This story is not abandoned, simply on hiatus I suppose.)





	1. A Mysterious Encounter at the Market

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go! I wrote this all at like 10:30 pm last night and didn't get to sleep until after 2 pm oops but you can't help when you just really want to write something. I edited it this afternoon so it should be free of my sleep deprived spelling and grammatical errors. Hope you enjoy!

Izuku had woken up early that morning and prepared breakfast for himself and his mother. He ate by himself, letting her sleep in until the sun rose. While he waited, he had returned to his attic room to get more work done on his most recent projects. 

Inko Midoriya had bought a small hat shop years before Izuku was born. She and her late husband had ran the shop together, and when Izuku came along they would take turns managing the shop and taking care of their son. After his father disappeared without a trace, presumed dead, Izuku had stepped up to take on his role and try and relieve his mother of the burdens of raising a child and running a shop by herself. 

That was how at eighteen, Izuku Midoriya was still working at home while all his friends had gone off on apprenticeships elsewhere. It was typical for teenagers, especially those with magical potential, to become apprentices and learn the trades they wanted to perseu. When he was younger, he’d expected to learn what type of magic he had and become an apprentice as soon as he could! That dream however, had remained just a dream for all these years. His childhood bully had once told him that it wasn’t his place to seek his fortune and he wouldn’t amount to anything. He supposed that was right. 

After all, he was an adult now and he still had no magical powers. Even his mother could levitate objects under five pounds from short distances, and his father had the ability to breathe fire. Izuku inherited neither. On top of that, he was plain looking and he spent most of his time running the shop for his mother, so he hadn’t many friends. 

His best friend Uraraka had discovered her levitation magic when they were both eight years old. She used to help out at the hat shop when they were kids, but this past year she had taken an apprenticeship with the Wizard Thirteen. His only other friend Iida was in training with his brother to become a soldier. The Iidas had always been loyal guards to the royal family and with the growing hostilities their kingdom had, they needed every guard they could get. 

Izuku sighed. It was lonely here without them. Sure, he did enjoy making hats and he loved his mother more than anything … but that didn’t mean he didn’t spend the the past year throwing himself at hat making completely to give him something to focus on other than the emptiness. He’d come to accept lately, that he would spend his life magicless and alone. He would never become like his idol, All Might, the most powerful Wizard there was. 

He methodically sewed wax flowers and berries into the ribbon on a wide brimmed sun hat. He tried to picture what kind of person might buy the hat, as he did with each one he made. 

“You’re not flashy, but you’re still pretty,” he said to the hat. He had a habit of talking to them and muttering, even when he didn’t realize it. “Some young lady will treasure you and wear you every sunny day for years to come. You’ll help her catch the eye of someone very special.”

His reassurance was to the hats, not himself. He liked to think of the hats felt good about themselves then people would feel good wearing them. This theory hadn’t failed him. He had started as a child, and since people did feel good wearing his hats there was no real reason to stop now. 

He picked up his newly finished hat and headed downstairs to wake up his mother. The sun was starting to rise now. The pale light of the sunrise peaked into the house through unshielded windows. He put down the hat outside her room, and went in. 

“Mom? It’s morning. I made tea and I cooked eggs on toast. Your food is waiting in the kitchen when you’re ready.”

She grumbled and woke up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. 

“Is it that time of day already? Gosh.” She let out a yawn.

“We’re running a bit low on bread and milk,” Izuku mentioned. “So I was going to head to the market and pick some up. Do you need anything while I’m out?”

“Hmm … could you get some cheese and jam as well? I was thinking we could take tomorrow off and have a picnic! You’ve been working so hard, and you deserve a break sometimes Izuku.” 

“Mom, I’m not so sure taking a break is he best idea. We’re barely scraping by as it is, I don’t mind working longer hours.” 

It was true. The hat shop didn’t make a ton of money, but it was what his mother loved doing and they were in no position to sell it. Where would they live? What would they do to make money? It was hats or nothing. If he had to work long hours to make sure him and his mother could afford food, water, and other necessities, he wasn’t bothered. 

“Izuku, I am your mother and the owner of this store. As your boss, I say tomorrow we both need to rest up. Besides, you’ve been working so hard on making hats lately, I barely see you and would like to catch up! Have you heard from your friends on their apprenticeships? Any juicy gossip? And boys or girls you’re interested in?”

“M-mom!” Izuku protested. She giggled at his embarrassment. 

“A mother likes to take time and chat every now and then! I miss talking to my little boy.”

Were he any closer to her, she would have lovingly pinched his cheek or mussed up his hair. She meant well, but as a parent it was her job to embarrass her son from time to time. 

“I-I’ll head to the market now. I guess picnic preparations are in order. Bye!” He said it all very quickly and excused himself so he wouldn’t have to acknowledge his mothers questions or risk more teasing. Plus, he didn’t have anything in the ways of a love life so all he could have shared were the details from Uraraka and Iida’s letters. 

 

・・・・・

 

The trip to the market was a bit far into town, but Izuku didn’t mind. He liked walking around admiring everything there was to see along the way. He had dressed in a grey button up shirt, black dress pants, and red shoes with his usual tan hat with a green ribbon tied around it.

He admired his handiwork on the headgear in a passing window. The green ribbon was tied in a small bow, with the two string ends sticking up into the air dynamically. They reminded him of All Might’s hair that stuck up similarly. The outfit was a bit plain, but he’d been told his whole life that he was a plain person and he’d come to accept that. 

The market was crowded by the time he got there, but he got the required items and was heading back when he felt a hand grab his arm. 

Startled, he yelled and nearly jumped a foot into the air. He looked at his assailant only to find his childhood friend Bakugo standing there looking particularly upset.

“Ka- Kachan! You’re back from your apprenticeship? So soon? Um, congrats-”

“I didn’t complete it you idiot,” the other boy said with a tone of malice and impatience. “The guy I was working under only took me in because he wanted to teach me fucking manners, so I quit. I’ll find a new teacher who won’t hold me back this time.” 

“Oh, y-yes that makes sense. I was wondering how you had completed an apprenticeship so quickly and why you would come back here if you had since you’d be a certified magician and -”

“You’re rambling dumbass.”

“R-right. Did you um … need something from me?” 

“You’re the first person I’ve seen since I got back and I figured you could fill me in on any wizards taking in new apprentices. You still stalk all the famous wizards, right loser?” 

It was true. The part about him keeping tabs on wizards, not the part about him being a loser. He supposed whether he was a loser or not was subjective. Still, when he wasn’t working at the hat shop he was taking notes on all the stories and rumors he heard about the famous wizards. He had all but given up on ever having magic, but he had been analyzing magic users for as long as he remembered and he found it calming to study their strategies and ways of life. 

Still ... he didn’t have time for this. He had to get home and work at the shop more if he was taking tomorrow off. 

“I really don’t have time for this Kachan. I need to get going, s-sorry!”

“I wasn’t asking dumbass, I was telling!” His estranged childhood friend readied a fist like he was about to summon an explosion, which caused Izuku to instinctively flinch. They were a few streets away from the market, and no one else seemed to be around to notice or care about the threat.

“I haven’t even heard anything that interesting! Since All Might went missing most of the other wizards are just picking up his slack. Then that mysterious castle showed up on the hill, but I don’t know much about it other than it belongs to the Wizard Todoroki, and he’s said to eat the hearts of pretty people but I don’t know if that’s entirely accurate because-”

Bakugo interrupted with an explosion next to his head. 

“You’re just spouting useless rumors, I told you to tell me something useful, Deku!” 

Izuku started to panic. He really didn’t know anything useful, and he hadn’t anticipated having to face Bakugo again so soon after he’d left for his apprenticeship with the Fabric Wizard, Best Jeanist. His ear was ringing from the explosion by his head and Bakugo reached out to grab him by the front of shirt, when Izuku felt himself being gently lifted to the side briskly. 

“There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you,” said a calm deep voice attached to the arm that had wrapped itself around his waist.

Izuku looked up to see a taller man dressed in a white tunic with a blue and silver embroidered jacket hanging off his shoulders. His hair was a silvery white on one side of his head, and split down the center it was red along the other side. His facial features were soft and elegant, with eyes of two different colors and nearly flawless skin. The only thing keeping it from being completely flawless was a massive burn scar that stretched from his left eye to his hairline. 

He looked calm, and had swept Izuku out of the way before Bakugo could grab him. He also seemed to be ignoring the angry blonde wizard in training, who didn’t take kindly to not being acknowledged. The stranger turned his head to Izuku in an angle that Bakugo couldn’t see his face and gave him a wink. 

“Oh, r-right!” Izuku blurted out awkwardly. He stiffened up at the touch, and was grateful to be rescued from his childhood bully, but unsure yet if this was any better yet. 

“We really should be getting back,” he said guiding Izuku forwards with the hand around his hip. He walked him away from Bakugo and towards the end of the street. 

“Hey! Don’t you ignore me you half and half freak!” 

The ‘half and half bastard’ in question proceeded to dismiss the comment and walked Izuku around the nearest corner. 

“He’s going to keep following isn’t he?” The mysterious man said without a fluctuation in his tone of voice. It was phrased like a question, but said as a statement.

“Yea,” Izuku replied worriedly.

“Take my hand, and get ready to run,” he warned. He wore an intense look on his face, and he pitched forward with Izuku’s hand in his own. 

They rounded the next corner, making sure to be out of sight from the angry man who pursued them. Izuku assumed that running was the only plan, and didn’t even notice when his steps started to lift off the ground. The stranger’s hand that wasn’t holding his own reached around him to hold him steady as they started to walk higher and higher into the air. Izuku let out a surprised gasp, and stared at the ground that was getting farther and farther away from him. 

“I wouldn’t look down if I were you,” he was warned. 

Izuku was so shocked by the turn of events. He nearly dropped the basket with the bread, cheese, milk, and jam as they floated along. He looked to his side at the strange man, trying to read his face. He looked stoic, but there was the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips. His eyes showed a determination and satisfaction that Izuku was almost intimidated by. He knew that being carried through the air by a stranger should be terrifying, but Izuku was never good at being scared in situations like this. Instead he was . . . curious. 

“Who are you?” he asked. “I mean if you’re making us float you must be some sort of Wizard but I don’t remember hearing of any local levitation wizards around town aside from Uraraka and my mother you are certainly neither. Though maybe you don’t only specialize in levitation? Maybe you don’t have a specification or maybe you’re working on multiple fields of magical studies or-”

“You’re overthinking it. I’m nobody of consequence really.”

Izuku didn’t believe that for a second. In all the panic and intrigue he hadn’t thought to pay attention to where they were going until he saw they were approaching the balcony of the hat shop.

“So if you’re not one of the local wizards I’m familiar with then you must be new in town, right? Are you doing an apprenticeship? You don’t look much older than myself so i can't image you’re a fully trained wizard yet, but you do seem very powerful for a Wizard in training.”

“That’s very presumptuous, don’t you think?” 

The mystery wizard perched on the railing on of the buildings balcony, as he gently lowered Izuku all the way down to the wooden planks that made up the structure. Izuku suddenly felt his full weight return to him as a soft hand retracted from his own. 

“It was lovely to meet you, Deku. Try not to get into anymore trouble,” the Wizard teased. He started to step away, but Izuku caught his hand before he could. 

“Wait!” 

The wizard looked surprised at the attention. His eyes widened, but then thinned again into an look that was equal parts inquisitive and intrigued. 

“Yes?”

“If you’re going to leave at least tell me your name! I try to learn about every wizard that I meet, but I haven’t heard of you before and I’d like to make an entry in my journal but I can’t just put ‘dual hair colored mystery wizard.’ Well I could but it would be awkward and not entirely accurate. Plus-”

The wizard smirked a little at that, and he knelt down to kiss the hand that was holding his own. The man’s lips were soft as they graced Izuku’s skin, and the contact made his breath hitch slightly. In his surprise at the gesture, Izuku let his grip on the hand loosen and the wizard took a step back into thin air. He started to leave but he looked back before he departed. 

“My name is Shouto,” he replied. 

“Shouto…” Izuku echoed. 

And just like that he was off. He walked across thin air and out of sight. Izuku let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in, and turned to walk into the shop when the balcony door opened and his mother burst through. 

“Izuku!” She had tears running down her eyes as she tackled him into a hug and dawned over him. 

“Mom! Hi!” 

“You had me so worried when you took so long getting food. I always worry when you don’t return soon. It remind me of the night… that night when your father…” Her voice trailed off, and her tears continued. 

“I’m safe, don’t worry!” He hugged her tightly. “I ran into Kachan and he wanted to catch up, when this wizard saw me and took me home safely.” 

“I saw! You were flying! I’m glad you’re back home in one piece honey but you need to be more careful! What if that had been the Wizard Todoroki? He would have eaten your heart and I’d have never gotten you back!” She wailed. 

“Don’t be silly mom, Todoroki only eats the hearts of beautiful people. Besides, he told me his name was Shouto.” 

He said the last part to convince her, but he noticed as he said so that Shouto had only given him a first name. He was also definitely hiding a lot. Maybe he would see him around town again soon and he could find out more? He certainly hoped so. Plus, then he could tell the wizard that his name wasn’t Deku, and that was just a mean childhood nickname.

It wasn’t that Izuku wanted to see Shouto because had been handsome or that he saved him, it was definitely only because he was mysterious and Izuku wanted to answer those questions in his notebooks. It was purely scientific curiosity and had nothing to do with how he felt looking at the wizard’s soft lips or his beautiful blue and grey eyes. It was nothing to do with the kiss on his hand at all. 

He went back to working the shop and daydreaming about seeing Shouto again. Only his hopes wouldn’t be fulfilled. At least, not the way he dreamed they would be. 

 

・・・・・

 

That night, Izuku was closing up the shop. He had sold a few good pieces that afternoon and he was sure the smile on his face from the days earlier interaction helped with his already decent customer service. 

In his recently dull life, today had been exciting! He hoped he got to see more of the new wizard, and he looked forward to tomorrow’s picnic with his mother. Hopefully he wouldn’t run into Kachan again so he could go about life normally for a while. Plus he was sure the angry blonde man would have a million questions about Shouto and Izuku didn’t want to answer any of those. 

The smile on his face faded as he heard the door to the shop open. He sighed. Some people had no respect for closing hours. He really needed to start locking the door before closing shop, not after. 

“I’m sorry, were closed,” he said without looking to see who it was. 

“You are a fool to think I would come here for one of your tacky hats,” said an intimidating voice. 

Izuku looked up to see a tall muscular man dressed sharply and looking down at him with extreme distaste. 

“C-can I help you?” Izuku was starting to be afraid. No, this was past afraid. Every instinct told him to run, and he felt a powerful energy coming from this man. Was that … the man’s magic? 

Run. Run to the door that leads upstairs and lock it behind you. Barricade it with anything you can find and hope he goes away. 

It was a naive thought, and even if he could have made it to the door he doubted it would do much good against magic. Instead he stayed stationary at the register of the shop, trying not to appear phased by the death stare he was being given. 

“You can tell me, where has Shouto gone? That fickle boy was here earlier. I can sense his use of magic all around you. There is no use in hiding it.” 

The intimidating man glared at Izuku’s hand that Shouto had kissed earlier. Izuku pulled the hand behind his back quickly. He’d assumed the magic the man sensed was the levitation magic from earlier, but that look suggested otherwise. What exactly was that kiss? 

“Shouto?” Izuku shifted on his feet. “How exactly do you know him?” 

The muscular man was clearly getting impatient. He took a deep breath before his face lit up with flames around his beard and mustache, and the same fire spread to his shoulders and hands. His face was a portrait of wrath.

“This is your last chance to tell me what I need to know or suffer the consequences, boy.” 

Izuku’s eyes widened. He should have recognized the man standing before him from his own notes, but he had never seen the man in person and he had never seen a drawing of him without his fire surrounding him. Standing here in the shop was the number two most powerful magic user in the land, the Wizard of the Wastes … Endeavor. 

“No, you can’t be here! All Might set up protections around the city, they should have stopped you-”

“All Might is gone. I saw too it personally. Without him here, his magic cannot protect you,” the man stated as he lifted up his hand. “And you cannot protect my Shouto. The boy’s foolish rebellion has gone on long enough. I will not suffer the likes of you prolonging it. What is my son thinking hanging around weak creatures like yourself.”

Son. He said son. Izuku started to put the pieces together, but all too late. Endeavor’s raises hand let out a powerful blast of magic, a curse, right at Izuku and there was no avoiding it. 

He clutched at the countertop and cried out in pain as the curse took hold. His grip loosened and he fell to the floor, feeling weak and frail all of a sudden. He curled up in a fetal position, expecting the worst. He clutched at his chest and gasped for air, but the feeling stopped just as suddenly as the curse had begun. 

He picked himself up as best he could, but his joints all ached horribly and he felt as if he was drained of a his upper body strength. He looked up to see Endeavor smiling down at him. 

“That should teach you not to keep information from me. Let this be a lesson in respecting your elders, boy,” he said as he walked towards the exit. He paused as he opened the door. “The best part is, you won’t even be able to tell anyone about this. Especially not my Shouto.” 

And with that he was gone. Izuku mustered all his strength to lift himself up off the floor. He didn’t feel injured, just weak and tired. Still, something was different. 

He hobbled over to the nearest mirror to examine the damage, and was shocked at what he saw. He covered his mouth to stifle a scream of shock and horror. 

Izuku Midoriya was eighteen years old, with plain looking features and dark green hair just like his mother and her mother, and all those before them. Yet in his reflection, he saw a wilting older version of himself. His hair was a grey silver hue and his skin was as wrinkled as a dried prune. He’d gained more freckles and sun spots, as well as worry lines and crow’s feet. The hand over his mouth was shriveled like he’d gotten out of a long bath, but he could tell this damage was permanent.

He had been cursed, by one of the most powerful wizards there was, to become an old man. His youth was taken from him, leaving him in this wrinkled form and unable to tell a single soul about what had transpired. 

He felt a sense of dread about his own situation, but he also felt fear for the wizard who had helped him earlier. He needed to warn him about his father. But how could he find him? How would he tell him? Izuku felt tears swelling in his eyes and he started to sob, breaking his eye contact with himself in the mirror. What on earth was he going to do about this?


	2. Departure with a Side of Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku comes up with a plan to lift his curse, but to do so he has to leave his home and mother behind. How can he tell her why he has to leave when he can't tell her any of the details of the curse? And how can he find Shouto and warn him before his father finds him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter: Izuku still hasn't figured out that Shouto and Todoroki are the same person and this boy cannot stop crying. His tears have tears. 
> 
> Also, thank you all for your nice comments! This is the first fanfic I've shared and actually the first creative writing piece of mine that I've shared since high school English classes. This chapter is a little shorter than the first, but 'shorter' is still about four pages of the google doc I'm writing this all in so there's that! Its just that the previous chapter was more like 9 or 10 pages.

He woke up the next morning to sunlight streaming across his face. He groaned at having been woken up, and pulled a hand up to his face to cover a yawn that escaped his mouth. He was startled when he felt a wrinkled hand brushed against his lips, and suddenly he remembered the events that transpired less than twenty four hours before.

It all rushed back to him. Shouto holding onto him as they floated through the air, the kiss on the hand, his mother’s worry, the angry wizard showing up in his shop, and the magical curse that he now had to live with. He pulled the covers up to his chest, and sat there for a moment trying to think logically about what his next steps had to be. 

“Endeavor said I can’t share what happened with anyone, especially not Shouto. So I can’t tell my mother how I became old and I certainly can’t share who did this. Can I tell her it’s a magical spell? What are the exact things I can and cannot share? I can’t stay here and do nothing but I also can’t leave without telling her anything. That would definitely cause her more grief than if I just told her. Plus, it would probably remind her of what happened to dad and she would assume I was dead too. So the best way to do this without hurting her more is to try and say something - anything, just so she doesn’t think I’m dead and she knows that I love her.” 

He felt tears well in his eyes as he muttered to himself. When most kids his age had left home to perseu their fortunes, he had remained home so he could take care of his mother, but now he had other things that he had to take care of. How could he tell her this without breaking her heart? 

His mother never understood much about magic, other than that she could pull objects towards her and that her husband could breathe fire. Neither of them really used their magic for more than mundane things like turning book pages or lighting candles., so his mother would not understand how it came to be. What if she thought Shouto had cursed him? She was worried about the wizard after seeing him yesterday. Or maybe she would assume it was Todoroki, since he seemed to get blamed for everything magical and unexplainable that occured in town. No one really knew what he looked like or what he stood for, they only understood that he was unknown and, most importantly, he was powerful.

“Wait, that’s it!” He said to himself. Maybe he could go to Todoroki to try and have the spell reversed! It was his best lead so far, other than trying to track down Shouto himself. 

There was one last thing nagging at his mind however. Last night Endeavor had mentioned All Might. He knew the wizard had gone missing about a month ago and no one knew why. What had Endeavor done to personally see to the wizard’s disappearance? Surely All Might was the stronger of the two, so he couldn’t have been defeated in a head on fight. Endeavor must have done something tricky to get him out of the picture. But why? Maybe All Might’s protections on the town were keeping him from finding Shouto, or maybe it was just that he’s had a grudge against the other wizard for being more powerful. Either way, Izuku had to find out what had happened to his idol. The safety of their nation depended on it, as All Might had been their protector for longer than Izuku had been alive. 

It was all so much to take in. Yesterday his biggest worry was making enough money selling hats to keep himself and his mother afloat, now he had to worry about his own fate as well and that of Shouto, All Might, and everyone else Endeavor’s plans would threaten. He imagine most eighteen year olds didn’t have to deal with such life threatening issues. He sighed deeply. 

Those were all problems for Future Izuku to have to deal with. Present Izuku had to break the news to his mother. He got out of bed, and went to go tell her. 

He approached her door, but froze up right before his hand touched the handle. ‘Do it already!’ He told himself. He could feel adrenaline running through his veins and the blood rushing. He truly had no idea how she would react. 

Finally, he forced himself to pull the door open quickly, like pulling off a bandaid. Inside, his mother was still asleep, and he felt bad for having to wake her to such bad news. He took a deep breath, and tried not to cry for once, as he placed a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her awake. 

“Mom,” he said softly and somberly. “Mom, please wake up.” 

Inko Midoriya opened her eyes and stirred awake. 

“Izuku? What’s wrong? Why does your voice sound so rough, are you okay honey?” 

She paused, seeing her son before her. His hair was an aged silver grey, and his youthful face was wrinkled all over. She wouldn’t have recognized him, had he not called her mom and had it not been for those big green eyes staring at her with the same sad look she’d seen the past eighteen years. They were the same, apart from the crow’s feet and the tears that were welling in them. 

“Mom … something happened last night.” He tested out what the curse would and would not allow him to say. That was apparently vague enough. “I can’t s-” 

I can’t say any of the details, is what he meant to say, but he realized that saying he couldn’t say anything would be giving away details of the spell.His voice cut off, and he coughed like he’s swallowed water down the wrong pipe. 

He suddenly felt two arms pull him closer, and wrap him up in a tight hug. At that gesture, he couldn’t keep his tears in. Instead, they rolled down his cheeks and chin, some rolled into his mouth as he openly sobbed. He held her close, not wanting to have to let her go. He knew that he had to do so soon, but for now he just cried and treasured the moments he still had with her before he had to depart. 

“Izuku honey, I don’t know what happened, but it’s clearly difficult for you to talk about. I won’t force you to tell me if you can’t do so yet. I love you honey, take all the time you need.” 

“Mom … I love you too mom,” he said into her shoulder as they both refused to release the other from their grip. “But, I have to go.” 

At this, her grip loosened, and she pulled back to look at his face. 

“What? Where do you have to go? Why?” She wiped the tears from his eyes as she asked. 

“Someone I know is in a lot of danger. Actually, if I’m right, a lot of people are in danger. I have to stop it before En-” his voice cut off as he tried to mention Endeavor. “I have to keep everyone safe.” 

“But why you? Can’t someone else do this? If it’s so dangerous why not tell a professional witch or wizard who’s better suited for the job? Stay here, I’ll make you some soup and we can stay inside today instead of picnicking.” 

“It doesn’t work like that mom, I’m sorry.” He had stopped crying now, but still looked sad. “I have to get ready now, I’ll be back as soon as I can I swear.”

With that, he got up and went to his own room to pack up and leave before his mother could try and convince him to stay. He changed out of his nightshirt and pajama pants and into a blue button up shirt and grey slacks. Before he became an old man, his clothing had barely fit him. Typically they were hand me down clothes from Iida’s family or others who knew Inko didn’t have the money to buy him something new. As a result, he’d grown up wearing baggy clothing and pants cuffed to his ankle. He wasn’t as broad or as tall as the other boys he knew. If the clothing hadn’t fit then, it certainly didn’t fit him now that he had shrunk in old age. Still, he never wore anything flashy apart from his red boots, and he thought the plain look was very befitting of an older man like himself. 

He grabbed his heaviest shawl, since where he was headed would be chilly, his red boots, and his trusty All Might inspired hat. He grabbed a satchel and was filling it with the food he would need for today’s journey, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. 

It was his mother. She stood behind him looking miserable, but she seemed to have accepted that there was nothing she could do that would dissuade her son from leaving. She held something in her hand, but he couldn’t see what it was. 

“This . . . it belonged to your father,” she started. “Before he disappeared, he gave it to me as a promise that he would always come back to us and keep us safe. He said this was his reason to come back home. Izuku . . . I’ve given up hope of your father ever returning. I can’t have the same fate happen to you-” 

“Mom, you know I can’t stay-”

“I know, and I won’t ask you to. But please, take this with you where you go. Let it be a reason for you to come back when you’re ready.” 

She held out her hand and inside of it was a necklace. It was a locket, and inside he found a picture of his mother holding an infant version of him. Looking at it, it brought more tears to his eyes. He’d lost track of how many times he had cried today and it was barely noon. 

His mother put the necklace around his neck, and he tucked it into his shirt, for safe keeping. With newfound determination, and he put his hands on her shoulders. 

“Mom, I swear I will come back. No matter what, you can rely on me.” 

They embraced one last time, and with that, he was off. His mother waved goodbye from the doorway, as he walked down the street and towards the hills where he had last heard sightings of Todoroki. _‘I will come back here. And when I do I’ll be young again and I’ll have saved Shouto and All Might from whatever Endeavor is planning,'_ he thought to himself. There was no way he wouldn’t complete his mission. He had too many people depending on him to fail. 

_'Mom, Shouto, All Might . . . I won’t let you down!’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for next chapter where Izuku will meet a mysterious scarecrow, find his way to the castle, and meet a strange apprentice and a snarky fire demon! Perhaps a certain wizard will show up too. Feel free to comment with any suggestions or really anything you want to say! 
> 
> (Also: Thank you for teaching me that I can code italics into my posts! I am still very new to this site oops)


	3. Why Did it Have to be Him?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku travels to where he last heard sightings of Todoroki's Castle, and meets strange creatures along the way. Stranger still, are the ones that he meets inside the castle itself. Will Izuku be able to convince the wizard to let him stay? And will he find a way to break his curse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Three is dedicated to my cat who is pawing me right now and trying to step on the laptop I'm using. Thanks for the support from all of you who left kudos/comments/etc! I'm still nervous about sharing my writing with others, but the positive feedback makes it easier! Also, thank you to all of you who haven't said anything but still read my story. It makes me happy just knowing people have taken the time to look at something I've made and hopefully enjoyed it!

Izuku felt like he’d been traveling for days. In reality it had only been hours. It was just that his old bones didn’t have the tenacity and stamina that they used to have in his youth . . . a whole day ago. He felt his legs starting to shake, and knew he had to rest soon before he could continue any further. He already hated being old. 

“Who does Endeavor think he is, barging into people’s shops and turning them into old men? If I see him again he’s going to get a piece of my mind,” he spat as he kicked a rock down the path. He had never been a violent person. He’d never even hit Bakugo, who had no such problems in using violence against him. It was just Endeavor who brought out this side of him. 

He hated everything about him, from the way he barged into the shop after closing and insulted him, to the spell’s clause that kept him from telling his mother why he had to leave, the way he acted like his son didn’t deserve a life of his own, and the way he had stared at Izuku’s hand with distaste. He wondered again what sort of spell that kiss had bestowed upon him. 

He reached the top of the hill he was climbing up and sat down on a rock. He pulled out a slice of bread with cheese and took a minute to eat a light lunch before he proceeded any further. He had gotten to the hills outside of town where he’s last heard rumors of Todoroki sightings, but he had yet to see the actual castle yet. On top of that, he wished he had thought to invest in a walking stick or some other sort of support before he left. His whole body ached, and he could use the extra support. He sighed, and got back up to continue on his journey begrudgingly.

It was then that he spotted a bush about fifty feet down the hill where a wooden pole was hanging out. A walking stick! 

He got up and hobbled over to where it was, placing his satchel down to pry the pole from the twigs that surrounded it. He tugged on it, despite the pain that shot down his back as he did so. He pulled harder, ignoring the joint pain that followed, and soon the stick and he both toppled over. 

He was surprised to find it wasn’t just a stick, but the base of a tattered and bony looking scarecrow! It had an ugly yellow striped suit jacket on with a dark blue bow tie and white gloves that held in the straw at the end of its sleeves. It’s head was a turnip that had been carved to portray a bony looking face that was ever smiling and atop the turnip was a yellow mess of straw that he supposed was supposed to be the scarecrow’s hair. Two clumps of the straw each shot out the top of the thing’s head, but had been weathered enough that they now hung in its face like sad bangs. 

It reminded Izuku of his favorite wizard, All Might, and he couldn’t help but wonder if it was an All Might rendition made by someone who had only heard descriptors of what the man looked like from passing rumors. Still, the poorly put together All Might look alike did give Izuku a good laugh. 

“I suppose if I leave you here in the open, maybe your owner will find you and take you back to his field. Or maybe someone else will be cheered up by you the way I was. Either way, good luck,” he whispered to the thing. “If I were more fortunate, maybe you’d turn out to be a magical scarecrow and you’d guide me to Todoroki’s Castle.” 

He left the thing there, in plain view in case someone went looking for their scarecrow. He imagined if he had been a farmer he’d have made his scarecrows look like All Might as well. Maybe if the shop had an All Might scarecrow it would have spooked Endeavor out of entering in the first place. Wishful thinking.

He made it over the next hill before he came to another creature that needed help. There was a scrappy looking dog whose collar had been tied to a very sturdy tree branch that was stuck in the mud. It was an odd setup to see in the middle of nowhere, but as naive as he was Izuku still knew that some people were cruel enough to abandon pets like this. He felt bad for it. If someone couldn’t care for an animal and set it free that was one thing, but tying it up where it couldn’t take care of itself was just horrible! 

IIzuku approached cautiously, and the dog growled at him. Nevertheless he struggled to untied the rope that was attached to the dog’s collar. There were quite a few knots in it, and Izuku found it difficult to untie, but when he eventually got it, the dog rushed off to its newfound freedom. He didn’t exactly expect a thank you, but it still felt disheartening seeing it rush off without even acknowledging him. At last the dog had helped him find a stick that could be suitable as a cane. 

“You must be my karmic reward for saving the dog, I suppose. Maybe with your help I’ll find the castle before my bones give out beneath me,” he said to it, as he wiped the mud off it and onto the nearby grass. 

The piece of wood was tall enough that it was a suitable cane. The top of it curved enough that it was a fine handhold and the bottom came to a point that was stable enough to not pierce the ground,too much. Maybe his luck was turning around. 

Thinking about his poor luck in finding Todoroki, he was reminded of what Bakugo had said to him all his childhood about how he would never amount to anything, so he shouldn’t try. It was harsh, especially to say to a child. He knew that Bakugo was wrong. No matter what, he _would_ find the castle and get a way to reverse this spell. He couldn’t let down all the people that were dependant on him!

Still, he felt the air around him was getting chillier, and he could tell that the day was getting later. If he didn’t find the castle soon, what would he do? He hadn’t thought to bring a bedroll or rations for an extra day. He’d assumed he would find Todoroki sooner than he did. He was starting to worry, until he reached the top of the hill and looked around. Down at the base of the hill he was atop, a hulking structure started to emerge from the fog, causing a smile returned to his face. 

It was nothing like how it looked from the window in the hat shop. Up close Izuku could tell that the castle was almost mechanical. It moved like a creature, not a piece of architecture. It let out billows of steam that mixed in with the fogg in the surrounding hills and almost camouflaged it. The massive building walked on legs, but there was an entrance that he spotted close to the ground, and he ran towards. He knew that the running would only make his legs feel worse, but he couldn’t think about that with his only hope for getting the curse lifted was so close. 

Reached the door in record time for an elderly man, he opened the door and ran inside before he could actually formulate a plan on what to do inside. What would he tell Todoroki? How would he convince him to let him stay? Oh well, he was already inside now so he would have to think on his feet. He was good at that.

His heart was racing when he stopped inside the first room of the castle to catch a breath, but it only got worse when he suddenly heard a voice. 

“Who are you and what do you think you’re doing in here?” 

He startled, and looked up to find a young woman about his age, well the age he should be. Her jet black hair was pulled back in a large ponytail and she was wearing a cropped red tunic with black pants and a tan utility belt around her waist. Hanging out of the pockets Izuku could see herbs and other spellcasting ingredients. She was not what Izuku had expected. Who was she? 

“Are you . . . are you Todoroki?” He was so perplexed. Everything he’d heard about the wizard implied that he was a man, but then maybe he was using disguises? He supposed he could specialize in magic that changed the way he looked which might be why no one was entirely sure what he looked like. Izuku had assumed the varied descriptions of him here due to false accounts and misinformation. Still, none of the claims suggested Todoroki was a woman. Maybe she actually sent out golems to do her bidding? He would have to find out and write it all down in his notebook. 

“Let me stop you there. It’s not any sort of magical disguise, I’m just not Todoroki. Now please stop theorizing, it’s creepy.” 

“Oh, I didn’t realize I was saying that out loud. I’m sorry.” 

“That’s alright, but please tell me why you’re here or leave the premises. Gosh, I usually have to deal with intruders coming from the Porthaven Door, I didn’t expect strange old men coming in from the wastes,” she sighed. “I’ll have to remember to keep that locked in the future.” 

“I’m sorry, but the reason I’m here is something I will only discuss with Todoroki. Can you show me to where he is?” 

“I’m afraid he’s not home at the moment. You’ll have to come back some other-”

“I think I’ll wait here if you don’t mind. Surely Todoroki wouldn’t turn away a poor old man in dire need of help,” Izuku feigned collapsing into the nearest chair and put a hand dramatically on his forehead as if he were fainting. She seemed to buy that he was a weak old man. Izuku never liked lying, but it was true that he was feeling weak and didn’t think he could survive outside much longer. 

“Alright, alright, You can stay I guess . . . but he won’t be back until at least tomorrow.” 

Perfect. That meant that he would have shelter for tonight at least before he had to figure out what lie he would tell Todoroki. 

“Wonderful, I’ll just stay right here then. If he comes in you can tell him Midoriya is here,” he thought for a moment before amending his statement. “Ehem, sorry, Old Man Midoriya.” 

He didn’t want to take any chances in revealing who he was. The woman sighed. 

“I suppose I should introduce myself as well. I’m Yaoyorozu Momo, Todoroki’s apprentice.”

She held out a hand for him to shake, and he took it without hesitation. He felt bad for causing her so much trouble, but it wasn’t as if he could tell her why he was actually there. 

She went back to her work, mixing a potion at the workbench at the far side of the room. That was when Izuku noticed just what a mess the place was. There were cobwebs along every inch of the ceiling, and the tables were covered in spellbooks, potion bottles, ingredients, and at least an inch of dust. He looked towards the cupboard where food was kept. There were three or four clean plates, which was a relief, but the rest of the food area was just as messy as the room it was in and he noticed they only had two forks, and a spoon. God, this place was a mess. 

His mother had raised him better than to leave something this messy, and he felt compelled to wash and scrub every inch of the castle. Were the other rooms all this messy as well? He figured he’d have his work cut out for him if he did convince Todoroki to let him stay here any extended amount of time. He started to formulate the order to which he would clean the room, and in all his planning of cleaning projects, he didn’t realize he’d fallen asleep until he was woken up by a voice. 

He startled, looking around to see who had spoken when he realized he was probably just talking in his sleep. No one else seemed to be here. Yaoyorozu was nowhere to be seen, her potion long ago completed and now sitting bottled up and labeled in a basket by the door. The lighting in the room was much dimmer, and he noticed the fire was going out. 

He supposed he should keep it going if he wanted to fend off the chills his old bones were prone to. He found a pile of firewood in the corner of the room. And he stacked a couple logs on top of the one that was left, to ensure that the new ones would catch properly. He went back to relaxing in the chair. 

“Maybe if I can’t get Todoroki to see what’s wrong I can stay on as his cleaner. God knows this place could use a good thorough cleaning. That is of course assuming he doesn’t eat my heart as punishment for trespassing.” 

“What? You don’t want your heart eaten?” 

Izuku startled. Had Todoroki came in when he was asleep? He looked around but saw no one. Instead, his eyes settled on the fire that was burning. It was now burning an unnatural shade of lavender. Izuku had heard of purple fire when certain chemicals burned, so maybe there were potassium salts in the wood. Maybe Todoroki really liked the color purple and just enchanted his fireplace. It was certainly odd for him to put such care into the fire’s color while the rest of his house was a gigantic mess. But then, the fireplace the flames resided in seemed absolutely normal. Meanwhile the fire itself seemed to form a pair of eyes and a mouth. It seemed to stare right at Izuku. He gulped. 

“Of course not,” he said to the fire. He supposed there was no harm talking to a fire. Either it answered him and he was right in assuming that as the source of the voice or it wouldn’t answer and wouldn’t judge him. 

“Your loss I suppose.” 

It was definitely the fire talking to him. 

“What . . . are you?” 

“I’m a fire demon of course. My name is Shinsou. I’m bound by contract to reside in this hearth. Now the real question is, what are _you?_ I can see you’re under a spell.” 

Izuku gasped. Someone could tell he was under the influence of magic and didn’t just take him at first glance. It was nice! All the people he’d passed on his way here had simply assumed he was actually an old man. He had been thankful at least that his new form had probably kept Bakugo from seeing him again before he left.

“You noticed the spell? Can you undo its effects?”

“Hmm,” the fire demon stared at Izuku intently, as if trying to answer that question for himself before saying anything to him. “It’s awfully strong. I’d say it feels like one of Endeavor’s spells.” 

Izuku nodded. 

“And you can’t talk about it unless someone already knows about it, right?” 

Another nod. 

“It feels as if there’s a second layer of the curse that I’m not quite understanding yet. I think I’ll have to study it to fully grasp it first.” 

“Study it? But how long will that take?” 

“I can’t be certain, but you’d best stay here. In fact, how about we make a deal? I’ll break your curse, if you will break the contract I’m under.” 

There was a mischievous look in the fire demon’s face that he didn’t trust. The glint in its eyes seemed like bad news, and he’s always been warned by Uraraka and Iida that deals with demons were bad news. Iida warned that they would always try to get more than they gave. Demons were exploitive and dangerous. Not to be trusted. 

“Why do I get the feeling that you’re not telling me the whole truth?” 

“Smart boy,” Shinsou began. “But what choice do you have really? The spell your under didn’t just make you _look_ sixty years older than you are, it also shortened your lifespan too. You don’t have time to waver like this.” 

Izuku gulped. He hadn’t considered that. 

“This contact that you want me to break, I’m assuming its with Todoroki?” 

“A smart assumption. Thanks to him I’m stuck here forever,” the demon whined. “I can’t even move a foot out of this hearth, its miserable!” 

“But you’re a demon. Why would you sign up for this is you weren’t getting something out of this?”

“Oh, I am. It’s just that I didn’t realize how awful the conditions would be! Todoroki makes me do all the work around here! I have to keep the castle moving all day. I have to do all the work, make special effects to keep people from finding the castle, and anything else the guy wants! The man is truly heartless, you know? Why do you think he eats the hearts of others.” 

Izuku couldn’t tell which parts of the story Shinsou was exaggerating and which parts were the truth. Why didn’t Todoroki just do his own magic? If the demon kept the castle hidden how come he’d found it and made his way in anyways? Did Todoroki _really_ eat hearts? He’d certainly hoped that part was just a rumor. It was hard to know what about the man was true, since most accounts of Todoroki sightings were just people using him as a scapegoat. 

“A-Allright,” Izuku said trying to sound confident despite the fear of a wizard eating his heart. “How do I go about breaking this contract then?”

“So you agree to our little bargain?’ He had a sinister smile under his eyes that were squinted in focus, and almost seemed as if they had bags underneath them. 

_”If_ you will undo my curse.” 

“Done! Your spell will be broken the very moment you break my contract!” 

“Then tell me Shinsou, how do I break your contract?” 

“I can’t tell you,” the demon said with a sly smile. 

“What!?”

“It’s part of the contract that neither the wizard nor I can reveal the main clause.” 

“Y-you tricked me,” Izuku said, more to himself than to the demon. “I knew you would try, but you fooled me anyways. If I stay here trying to fulfill an impossible task I’ll die of old age soon enough and who knows what’ll happen to Shouto!” 

“Shouto?” The demon asked a question, but the face it gave looked as if it knew the answer already. Izuku supposed if the demon knew he was under Endeavor’s spell, he could probably sense whatever spell Shouto had put on him as well. 

“He’s a wizard who saved me from a bad situation the other day. He gave me this,” Izuku said holding out the hand that had been kissed. “I figure it’s got to be some spell, but I don’t know what it is.” 

Shinsou looked intently, beckoning for Izuku to bring the hand closer. He obliged, and the demon took a couple seconds to study it. 

“It’s a protection spell intended to ward off a specific person. When did you get it? Clearly it wasn’t to ward off the Wizard of the Wastes. It’s too strong to not have worked.” 

“Well, when we met I was being threatened by my childhood bully. He was about to get violent, when Shouto came in and swooped me up and took me home. Then he kissed my hand and I didn’t think anything of it-” 

“You didn’t think anything of a kiss to the hand?” 

“W-well! Nothing magical! I just assumed that he was being polite is all!” Izuku’s face was completely flushed. “A kiss to the hand is totally platonic! Besides, I can’t imagine someone as beautiful as him wanting to kiss a plain boy like me who doesn’t even have any talents or magic.” 

“So you think this Shouto guy is beautiful?’ 

“N-no! I mean, well, yes but- You know, let’s get back to this contract. Why would you put me on an impossible mission, what do you get out of this?”

The teasing smile on the demon’s face went away at that. He’d had his fun, and didn’t want to have to get serious again. He’d have much rather teased Izuku more evidently. It wasn’t Izuku’s fault that he blushed so easily!

“It’s not an impossible task. If you stay here and listen closely, you’ll figure it out.” He suddenly got more somber. “This contract that Todoroki and I have? It isn’t doing either of us any good in the long run. I promise once you break it I _will_ break your curse as well. I may be mischievous, but I do keep my word. The fact I’m still stuck in this fireplace goes to show as much.” 

Izuku supposed that was true. He didn’t like it, but he saw no other way to save himself from dying of old age at only eighteen.. 

“Then I will help you, but if I’m to listen closely,that means that Todoroki has to let me stay. So I’ll need to come up with a reason to be here and you have to back me up.” 

“Don’t worry. I’ll tell him your heart doesn’t taste that good or something.“

“As if you’d have to,” Izuku said. “He only eats the hearts of beautiful people, right?” 

Shinsou frowned at that, but didn’t bother to say anything. He seemed to know that he wouldn’t win that argument. At that, Izuku went back to relaxing in the chair he had claimed as his own. He wrapped himself up tight in the shawl and before he knew it, he was falling asleep. 

 

・・・・・

That night he dreamed about his best friends. He remembered how warm Uraraka’s hugs had been and how Iida took himself too seriously. He dreamt of long summer days back before all these curses and dangers were his everyday life. He thought about staying up late and dancing with them during town festivals or sneaking out to meet them on the hill nearby and stargazing. The memories were so lonely that he almost managed to trick himself into believing that he was still a child and his friends were here. All too soon morning came and he was snapped back into reality at the feeling of back pain caused by sleeping in a chair. 

He opened his eyes and saw the filthy castle room around him instead of his own cheerful bedroom. There were no colorful hats on mannequin heads, instead there was an actual skull on one of the tables. Thankfully it was not the same one where the food was stored. 

He groaned at the sight of the grime and dust all around him. He never was good at ignoring a mess. When he was young he would help his mother do dishes after they cooked dinner together, and he’d even done his own laundry since he was old enough to know how. When something was dirtied he either took time to clean it, or put it in a safe place where he would be reminded to do so when he had more time. Clearly, Todoroki didn’t live by the same common standards. 

“Good morning,” greeted a mischievous voice. “Don’t forget that we have a contract.” 

“Ugh, good morning Shinsou, can you cut that out for five minutes while I wake up?” 

The fire demon pouted. 

There was the sound of footsteps coming downstairs as Yaoyorozu had woken up and was making her way to the pantry. She pulled out a loaf of bread and a block of cheese. 

“Good morning Midoriya, I’m afraid all we have for breakfast is bread and cheese, sorry.” 

“Wait a minute, but there were eggs in that basket you opened up a second ago, why not cook those?” 

“Well, I can’t cook them,” she said looking embarrassed. 

“Oh, don’t worry. I always cook breakfast for my mom. I’m a pretty good chef if her word is anything to go by.” He flashed her an innocent smile, that defied the age he seemed to be. 

“Your mother lives with you? But you must be eighty! How old is she then? Wait, nevermind sorry. The reason I can’t cook isn’t just that I don’t know how. Todoroki is the only one who is allowed to use the fire. I’ve tried to cook before, but Shinsou just won’t behave for me! I am also just not good at cooking to begin with. Back home we had our own chef so there was no need for me to cook.” 

Her own chef? What sort of life was she living before she came to the castle? 

“Yaoyorozu … are you … rich?” 

“What? I mean, my family isn’t that rich. We only have five spare bedrooms and some of those don’t even have their own bathrooms. It’s really embarrassing.” 

Izuku could tell she wasn’t joking and that just made it harder not to laugh. He really did try, but he had to let out a chuckle at that. He lived in a tiny apartment above their hat shop. There were two bedrooms, for which he counted himself lucky. 

“You’re right. That’s not normal,” Izuku teased. He reached over her shoulder and pulled a frying pan off the table. 

“Wait, you really can’t cook. Shinsou will just flare up and engulf your whole frying pan so you can’t touch it.” 

“Shinsou is just being a brat,” he said turning towards the fire demon in question. “You would really deprive this poor girl of a warm breakfast? Come on.” 

“I’m not gonna let you cook on me. Todoroki already exploits me enough thank you!” 

“Shinsou if you don’t cool down enough so I can cook, so help me I will tell Todoroki about our deal and then where will you be?” 

“You wouldn’t! You’re too nice!” 

“Even nice people have limits. Do you want to test that?” 

Shinsou glared up at Izuku, but reluctantly reduced his flames to a temperature that was suitable for cooking. Izuku arranged four logs into a square shape to rest the pan on top of, and then turned back to Yaoyorozu who handed him some eggs and bacon strips to place into the pan. 

“If you keep this up I’ll give you a curse of my own, Midoriya. May all your bacon burn,” hissed Shinsou.

The wizardly apprentice gazed over Izuku’s shoulder in awe as he cooked several eggs and bacon slices. Izuku was so focused on cooking breakfast that he didn’t even notice the door opening up and a tall slender man with dual colored hair stepping in. The man went to stand next to Yaoyorozu behind Izuku. He watched in silence for a few minutes, honestly just surprised by the whole spectacle. Eventually he gathered his words. 

“Well that’s an impressive display,” he said looking Izuku up and down. “Who exactly are you and why do you look so familiar?” 

Izuku startled at the noise. 

“Hello, Todoroki,” greeted Shinsou. There was a slyness in his tone of voice that Izuku was automatically distrusting of. 

He turned and looked up to see what exactly this guy Todoroki looked like, so he could write it in his notes later. Before him stood a wizard dressed in a white tunic with the top buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Over his shirt a silver and blue jacket hung on his shoulders. His hair was half pale silver and half ruby red. His eyes were respectively pale grey like stone and a saturated aqua like a tropical ocean. His skin was sort of pale and nearly flawless apart from a massive scar red burn that completely covered the area around his left eye. This man was undeniably beautiful but, more importantly, undeniably familiar. 

Izuku almost dropped the frying pan as he identified the man before him as none other than Shouto, the wizard who had saved him the other day, and the son of the second most powerful wizard, Endeavor. 

“M-me?” Izuku’s voice cracked despite his best effort not to. “I’m a total stranger! You must have me confused with someone else, sir.” 

“He told me his name is Midoriya. He came in from the wastes last night,” confessed Yaoyorozu. 

“Hmm. Tell me Midoriya, how did you get Shinsou to let you cook?” 

He was about to lie, when Shinsou cut him off. 

“He’s bullying me, Todoroki! He’s even worse than you are!”

“Sorry Shinsou,” he said unapologetically. “You can’t say you haven’t earned it. But more importantly, that’s a very difficult thing to do. Rather impressive,” he said eyeing Izuku. 

Uncomfortable under the wizard’s gaze, Izuku almost dropped the pan once more. He hoped that Shouto didn’t notice, but then he felt a soft hand ghost over his own and brushing against his fingertips. Izuku’s breath hitched. 

“Your hands seem a bit unsteady, let me take a turn with this,” Shouto offered as he took the pan from his hands. “Yaoyorozu, please bring me the rest of the eggs and the bacon.” 

“Of course,” she agreed. 

She brought them all and he put them in the pan together. Izuku never would have expected that much food could fit in the pan all at once. Maybe Sho- Maybe Todoroki had used magic. He had to remind himself that if he called him Shouto aloud his cover would be blown. Asking Todoroki for help was a lot easier for him before he realized that Todoroki was none other than the beautiful man who had saved him and kissed him on the hand two days prior. 

As he was lost in thought, Todoroki finished up with cooking and served breakfast. He placed the plates of food on top of the nearest table. He tried to put them directly on the table itself, but it was so cluttered that some of the plates were actually just on top of piles. He sat down at the table and motioned for the rest of them to all do the same. They each ate with their respective of the three clean utensils. Izuku had to admit, the food tasted really good. Maybe he was starving, or maybe Todoroki was just great at this. However, his bliss in eating was interrupted soon, as Todoroki cleared his throat. 

“So, Midoriya,” his voice was calculated and his eyed felt like they were boring a hole in Izuku’s skull. “Would you care to tell me why you’re here?” 

Izuku sat at the table, frozen. The look he was getting from Todoroki made him shiver, and his pulse had increased. He took a deep breath, and prepared to lie. He looked the other man dead in the eyes and calmed his tone to sound as serious as possible, because he knew this lie was a long shot.

“Well, Todoroki, I’m your new housekeeper.” 

“Is that so?” The wizard’s stare had softened a little. His face hadn’t changed and his lips still formed a thin line, but his eyes had softened. “And who says you’re my new housekeeper?”

 _‘Shit,’_ he hadn’t thought that far. 

“Well, I do of course,” Izuku argued as if that made sense. Todoroki accepted it surprisingly well. Even Yaoyorozu gave him a confused look. 

“I don’t exactly need a housekeeper,” Todoroki lied, nearly knocking over a pile of books with his elbow as he ate. 

“Oh, that’s rich,” Shinsou chimed in. 

“He … does have a point Todoroki,” mentioned Yaoyorozu. “I hate to agree with Shinsou and I don’t trust Midoriya, having just met him, but back home we had housekeepers and it was … well … easy to get around the house and we didn’t have to eat on top of spellbooks. We even had more than three pieces of silverware clean at a time.”

“It’s perfectly functional the way it is,” Todoroki tried to argue, but as he stood up to get out of his chair his foot knocked over a jar or dried sage, which spilled onto the ground.

Izuku gave him a look that seemed to say, _“Really now?”_ Todoroki sighed. 

“You can have me for a month as a test run, and we’ll see how it goes from there,” Izuku offered.

“Sounds perfect,” cheered Shinsou, who was given a death stare by Todoroki. 

“Fine,” Todoroki huffed. “Do as you will. But a few rules. Don’t kill any spiders, don’t mess with my jars in the bathroom, and do not under any circumstances think about cleaning my bedroom. Understood?” 

Izuku nodded. At that, Todoroki left to retreat upstairs. Shortly after, Yaoyorozu announced she had to study for a potion she was preparing, and left as well. Then it was only Izuku and Shinsou left, and Izuku spared no time in turning to the fire demon and glaring. 

“You, knew it was him, didn’t you,” Izuku accused. 

“I have no idea what you mean,” said Shinsou as he feigned ignorance. 

“Don’t lie to me. I knew there was a reason you seemed so interested when I mentioned Shouto. You realized that was Todoroki!” 

“Honestly, I was just more surprised that you _didn’t_ know who he was, considering you’re so in love with the guy.” 

“I-in love?? Never! I just, really appreciated that he saved me!” 

“And then kissed your hand,” the fire demon added. 

“Platonically! It probably didn’t mean anything!” 

“Sure, you say that now. But if he finds out who you are and eats your heart it’s not my problem.” 

Izuku pouted at the fire demon, who stuck out his tongue. Being an ageless demon didn’t make him any more mature, and it seemed being nearly eighty years old hadn’t done anything for Izuku either.


	4. Does it Count as Snooping if it's for the Greater Good?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku tries to figure out where the rest of the castle's room are, and Shinsou suggests that he get a tour of the place from none other than Todoroki himself. Izuku must cope with his disgust at how dirty the place is as well as his feelings for his tour guide. Meanwhile, Todoroki is coping with something else entirely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's gonna be a bit of Todoroki pov in this chapter! Subsequently, there will also be a little angst in this chapter, sorry. I promise I'll write something happy next chapter to make up for it!

After scolding Shinsou for toying with him in regards to what was absolutely not a crush, Izuku decided he was curious as to what the rest of the building looked like. He took the dishes from their breakfast in hand and went to look for a sink to wash them in. He noticed a sink next to the workbench Yaoyorozu had been making potions on the other day, but didn’t want to contaminate the dishes with whatever magical ingredients got dumped down there on a daily basis. 

He looked around to see if the castle had a kitchen he’s missed, but first door he tried instead led to a bathroom. 

It must have been a beautiful bathroom at one time, before Todoroki seemed to have ruined it. It was huge and luxurious. There was a claw footed bathtub to his left side, which had candles melted all along the edges. It was one of the more sizeable tubs Izuku had seen, and it even had an attached shower head and a wraparound curtain. Izuku had only seen shower heads in outdoor shower stalls, and was quite impressed. He took note of the large vanity that was covered entirely in different jars, potions, and powders. These must have been the ones that Izuku was instructed not to mess around with. Some of the labels seemed to suggest they were for hair or skin, but others were extremely vague and awfully suspicious seeming. He also noted several mirror around the room. There was the large on by the vanity, and another large one with golden details around the edge lined the wall above the bathtub. There were a few handheld mirrors lying here and there, and there was one on the back of the door. _‘Who knew Todoroki was so vain?’_ Izuku giggled at the thought.

This bathroom sink seemed to be where dishes went to die, as the left side of it seemed completely full with stacks of cups, plates, and silverware. Izuku begrudgingly put the plates in his hand atop the stack and vowed to come back after he’d seen the rest of the castle. He would have to scrub every wall, the floor, wash the mirrors, clean out the plants that appeared to be growing from the bathtub drain, organize the potions- except he couldn’t touch those oops, and scrape wax off many of the surfaces. At least the candles made the place smell nice, even if it looked like a pigsty. 

He left the bathroom with a look of disgust on his face that no lavender scented candles could wipe away. He approached Shinsou. 

“How did your snooping go?” The fire demon wore an amused expression in reaction to Izuku’s uncomfortable look. 

“I wasn’t snooping, I was just curious ... I suppose that does sound like snooping, but I’m just trying to get a feeling for where to start cleaning. Plus, maybe if I ‘snoop’ I can find something to help me understand your contract with Shouto.” 

“You have a point, but I wouldn’t call him that to his face if you want to keep up this housekeeper ruse. Anyways, I suspect that he doesn’t keep his secrets lying around the bathroom. If you want to really snoop you’ll have to check out his bedroom upstairs.” 

“But he said I’m not allowed in there,” sighed Izuku. 

“Only for cleaning. You’ll figure something out.” 

“That’s true. Maybe I could make him breakfast in bed? I used to to that for my mother and she really enjoyed it. Or I could just knock on his door and ask questions a lot. I _do_ genuinely have a lot of questions. Like, where is the rest of the castle? It looks massive outside, but so far it seems rather small for a castle and there are only two more doors down here i haven’t checked. Is there an upstairs? Why did Yaoyorozu mention a Port Haven door if we’re in the wastes?” 

“Maybe you should ask Todoroki for a tour then?” 

“Oh, but I don’t want to impose. I already feel badly for being here under false pretenses.” 

“But Midoriya, the sooner you can break our contract, the sooner you can get back to saving him from whatever it was you said he needs saving from.” 

Izuku frowned and looked at the ground, remembering the reason he had been cursed. He fidgeted with the hand that held his protection spell, and sighed. He couldn’t tell Todoroki that his father was looking for him and had put a curse on him, since the curse forbade him to mention it. The sooner the curse was lifted, the sooner he could warn him. Still, at least he knew for the time being that Shouto was safe. It might not last long, he had no clue how hot on their heels Endeavor was. But for now he was safe and Izuku would do whatever he could to protect him, even if he didn’t have any magical powers. 

“I’ll go ask him.” 

He proceeded up the old wooden stairs that were at the far end of the room. He would check the two other doors later, assuming Todoroki didn’t mind showing him around. As he made it to the landing at the top of the stairs, he observed two doors. _‘These must be Yaoyorozu and Todoroki’s rooms,’_ he observed. The one on the left had a bouquet of flowers hanging upside down to dry them out, and Izuku assumed that was Yaoyorozu’s room. _‘Who gave her those flowers? Does she have an admirer?’_ The one on the right that that seemed to be steeped in magic and mysterious energies could only belong to Todoroki. He knocked on it, and heard shuffling on the other side getting closer, and the door opened revealing the wizard himself. 

“Yes?” Todoroki was standing in his doorway, with the door open just enough that he and Izuku could talk to each other, but not wide enough that Izuku could look into the room and see what it was like. _‘He’s hiding something and I get the feeling it’s more than just a messy room.’_

“H-hi! Um, I was asking Shinsou about where the other rooms in the castle were located, and he told me to ask you instead. I checked downstairs but there only seemed to be a few rooms, but the outside of the castle suggested a lot more so I figured there’s got to be a hidden entrance? Or is that what Yaoyorozu meant when she said ‘Port Haven door?’ Does the front door also lead to other parts of the castle?” 

“No,” Todoroki said flatly. “Shinsou is just pulling your leg because he knows you’ll believe him. I don’t see why he would send you to me, but I guess I can give you a tour. It will have to be brief. I’m working on . . . important projects.” 

Izuku noticed the pause Todoroki had taken to think of how best to describe what he was working on. It seemed that Tododorki was almost as bad of a liar as Izuku. He couldn’t help but wonder what the wizard was actually working on, or what constituted ‘importance’ to him at lease. 

“Great! But what do you mean he’s pulling my leg?” 

“The ‘castle’ isn’t really a castle, Midoriya. It looks like one outside, and there is a door on what you see as the ‘castle’ that leads into this house, but it’s really just a house. You see the two bedrooms here and the rooms downstairs, that’s all it is. I suppose I should have mentioned that sooner.” 

“Oh.” 

“Well, follow me and I’ll show you around briefly.” 

Todoroki took Izuku’s hand, and Izuku couldn’t help but think of the first time they had met, when the wizard had taken his hand and they walked across thin air. Now, they were walking across wooden planks that made up the house’s floor. Todoroki led them to the downstairs main room. 

“This are you’ve already seen. It’s our kitchen, main room, and where we work on most of our potions,” he began. 

“I see.” 

Todoroki went over to one of the doors that Izuku hadn’t opened yet, and revealed a backyard area. It was similar to the one he’d had back home. It was surrounded by high brick walls, while Izuku’s had been surrounded by other houses that all shared the same courtyard area. 

“This is where we prepare spells that are too dangerous to work on indoors,” he said motioning towards another workbench along the side of the building. “I also store some stuff out here.” 

Indeed, the stored things were obvious. There was a pile of what looked like scrap metal, and old tools that had fallen to disrepair. There was also more wood, which made sense considering they had to keep a fire demon going.

Todoroki went back inside, and closed the door behind the two of them. He walked toward the bathroom, and showed it off. 

“The bathroom, where I keep most of my personal potions.” 

Izuku nodded, not wanting to look at the bathroom again too much. 

Todoroki went to the last door he hadn’t revealed yet, which turned out to be a closet. Inside there were some boots, brooms, buckets, and other supplies. Izuku noted that this would be handy for his future cleaning projects. 

“And this is the storage closet. The castle is probably not as exciting as you’d anticipated, sorry. Do you have any questions?” 

“Why do you want to keep the spiders?” He knew that spiders were considered good luck, and he couldn’t argue with that. Still, maybe they were actually key to the contract in some way?Or maybe the spiders could sense harmful magic and acted as a warning system?

“I just see no reason to drive them away. They have as much claim to the place as I do.” 

“But they’re making a mess of the place with cobwebs,” Izuku protested. 

Todoroki shrugged. 

“Was that all?”

“Um, no. I …” he trailed off. “I was actually worrying about what sort of safety measures you had on the castle.” 

Todoroki looked surprised by this question. Izuku suddenly realized that maybe he sounded like he was looking for the castle’s weak points and that was awfully suspicious. _‘Great, now he’s going to think I’m a spy for some other wizard or something!’_

“I assure you, you’re perfectly safe here if that’s what you’re worried about. I won’t let anything happen to you while I’m here, and when I’m out you have Shinsou and Yaoyorozu to protect you. Shinsou may act immature but he’s dettered countless people who’ve tried to break into the castle before, and Yaoyorozu is technically my apprentice but she’s very talented. Her creation magic is better than any I’ve seen before, and while she’s sometimes lacking in confidence, I’d still trust her with my life.” 

Izuku noticed a fond look in the wizard’s eyes as he talked about his companions. He couldn’t help but wonder how long they’d all been living here together? When did he sign the contract with Shinsou? When did he take in an apprentice? Had he been with other people before them? If not that must have been … lonely. Todoroki definitely seemed like a lonely person, and Izuku wanted to do whatever he could to fix that. 

He hadn’t been thinking about himself when he asked about the safety of the castle. He’d never been good at worrying about his own good, being too focused on helping others. Izuku was still worried about Shouto, but he couldn’t exactly tell him that. He was sure he would look silly if he, a completely magically useless old man, told a powerful and nation renowned wizard that he was trying to protect him. Oh well. 

“Thank you, Sh- Todoroki!” He had gotten carried away in his thoughts and almost let the man’s first name slip. He never was too good at keeping secrets.

Todoroki looked confused, but nodded. 

“You’re welcome, Midoriya. I should get back to my work now, but .... feel free to come talk to me if you have any more questions.” 

There was the tiniest smile on the wizard’s face. It made Izuku’s heart flutter. Had he actually made the other man smile? He made a mental note to try and do that more often. Before he realized what he was doing, he had pulled him in for a hug. Izuku had always been very physically affectionate. He and his mother must have hugged ten times a day, so it was his instinctive reaction to hug people when he felt emotional. He only realized too late that hugging Todoroki might have crossed some boundaries, and pulled away quickly. 

He looked back up at Todoroki, whose smile was now gone and there was a panicked look on his face. He seemed distant, like his body was there but his thoughts were somewhere else and his eyes were wider than usual. Izuku hadn’t realized someone could be so uncomfortable with a hug.

“S-s-sorry! I didn’t mean to-” 

“I . .. I should go,” muttered Todoroki quietly. It seemed unlike him. Usually Izuku was the one who was constantly muttering and stumbling over words. 

With that, Todoroki quickly went upstairs and retreated to his bedroom, leaving Izuku alone to think about how badly he’d messed up. He went over to sit by the fireplace. He sat on the floor, resting his head on the chair he usually sat in, and tears began to stream down his freckled cheeks.

“Shinsou, I think I messed up big time.” 

“Hmm, what did you do?” 

“You mean you weren’t watching?” 

“Of course I was watching, but I could only see the back of your head and Todoroki’s face when you hugged him.” 

“That’s it exactly. You saw the face he made when I hugged him! I just hug everyone, it’s what I’ve always done! I didn’t mean to offend him, I wish I could go back in time and stop myself.” 

“Hmm, sorry I can’t make that kind of deal with you I’m only a fire demon.” 

“Shinsou,” Izuku warned. In his vulnerable state there was only so much teasing he could take. 

“Alright, sorry. If it makes you feel any better, he actually didn’t look horrified the whole time. Initially he looked surprised, then he actually smiled a bit, and then he looked like that. It was unusually expressive for him.” 

“Wait, really?” 

The fire demon nodded. 

“I guess,” Izuku began. “There are still a lot of things I don’t understand about Todoroki.” 

 

・・・・・

Todoroki retreated to his room. His feet moved on his own, and he couldn’t remember what he’d said, or if he’d said anything at all. His heart was racing and his body was filled with addrenilne, which was now leaving him as he laid down on his bed and buried his face into on of the many pillows on his bed. He took deep breaths in, taking as much air as his lungs and the pillow pressed to his face would allow, and promptly letting them out. Yaoyorozu had taught him that there was a proper way to breath when he was having a panic attack, but in his panicked state he’d forgotten it and resorted back to his usual ways of coping. 

He brought his face up from the pillow, and curled up with it, trying to recall the events of a few moments earlier. He took a deep breath in. 

He’d known that Midoriya was under a spell the moment he’d seen him. He’d tried identifying what sort of spell it was initially, but there was something about the magic that made him uncomfortable so he’d put it off for later, focusing more on asking the man why he was there and hoping that would help him pinpoint the spell. 

Evidently, Midoriya couldn’t talk about the spell or he didn’t want to talk about it. He also didn’t seem to be aware of the magical abilities within him either, which struck Todoroki as odd. The man had to be eighty, or at least close to it. Most people were aware of their magical powers by age four, so to go so many decades unaware of one’s own power was unheard of. 

Todoroki had put all thoughts of the man’s magic aside when he was giving him the tour of the ‘castle’ only to become hyper aware of it the moment that Midoriya pulled him into a hug. The hug felt ... nice. It was the first hug Todoroki had had in far too long and he’d almost forgotten how nice the sensation felt. He almost leaned into the touch, suddenly aware how touch starved he was. He wanted to stay there all day and wrap his arms around the other, but he was too close to the man’s magic to focus on such indulgences. 

The first thing he noticed was the magic that was attached to the man’s hand. It was none other than a spell of his own casting- but how? It was a protection spell, granted by a kiss to the hand. He’d only cast that spell on the boy from the market the other day. 

That’s when he realized that the other spell had changed what the man- no, the boy- looked like. It had turned him from someone his own age, to a fragile and elderly man. He felt a shiver as he realized it had also shortened Midoriya’s lifespan by around sixty years. God, how awful. He swore he would find who had done this to him, and make them pay. But then, there was something so eerily familiar about the magic, like Todoroki had felt it before. 

_‘No, it can’t be. I have to be mistaken,’_ he reassured himself. He knew that there was no mistake. He had in fact felt this magic before, but it had been so long since he’d been under one of his father’s spells. A shiver went down his whole body, and he realized that Midoriya had let go of him and was apologizing, but Todoroki could barely hear him over his own accelerated heart rate. 

He felt the need to run away, as if physically hiding could save him from the memories that were flooding back to him. His body moved on its own, bringing him upstairs to his bed, where he laid now. He felt guilty for leaving Midoriya like that, but he didn’t choose to. It was his fight or flight instinct. _‘I guess I’m a coward, I’ve only ever chosen to run.’_

Tears ran down his face and stained his sheets and pillows. _‘At least Midoriya didn’t see me like this,’_ he assured himself. Still, he wished the other’s arms were wrapped around his body again. He couldn’t go back down and face anyone now. Instead he just silently sobbed into the pillow, and hoped that he was quiet enough that no one else in the house could hear him. He didn’t know that downstairs, Midoriya was crying as well.


	5. Once is Enough, Let's Not Try That Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku goes into full cleaning mode, but what will he do if his actions have drastic consequences?   
> Meanwhile he and Yaoyorozu bond over pastries, crushes, and magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you for reading this far! I didn't quite realize just how much writing this AU would entail when I first thought of it. I'm a Fine Art + Illustration major so usually I'm doing fan art, not writing! 
> 
> Anyways, I don't plan to abandon this work, don't worry! It just means I actually have to plan things a little instead of winging it like I usually do! I got out my copy of the book and I've been skimming/re-reading it to make sure I'm on the right track. Next chapter after this is gonna deviate from the book a little but I can guarantee some fluff, angst, and new developments!I already have a good chink of it written but I'm . . . better at writing than I am at editing so you'll get that once I edit it all! 
> 
> Also a warning in advance: I Probably won't get much writing in this upcoming weekend since I'm gonna be working at Boston Comic Con! Hell yea comics and making money! 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

Izuku Midoriya generally considered himself unskilled, but that was far from true. He was a good friend, a caring person, a great cook, and highly ambitious. He could do anything he set his heart and mind to do, and he was very good at putting his whole self into his work. Thus, it would have been no surprised to anyone who knew him just how quickly he gave himself to his new job as the housekeeper of the quaint little castle he now called his home. 

He wanted to make the place clean not just because it was where rested his head, and he would hate to live in filth, but also for the sake of everyone else who lived there. Todoroki didn’t mind living in squalor, but that didn’t mean Izuku wouldn’t save him and his companions from it anyways. 

The day that Izuku had officially became the housekeeper, Yaoyorozu had come down and helped him set up a small living area in the alcove beneath the stairs. She’d pulled a straw mattress and folding cot from the storage closet, and together they had set it up with blankets, sheets, and pillows that the apprentice had materialized from her body. 

“How did you do that!” Izuku stared at her, while she blushed and pretended to play it off as nothing. Izuku could tell she liked the attention, but was also unsure how to handle it. 

“It’s just the magic I specialize in. I assumed Todoroki had told you! I can create any object that I’m familiar with and understand the chemical makeup of.” There was a proudness in her tone, and Izuku couldn’t blame her. 

“That’s really amazing! What are the limits of it? Since magic is a physical ability do you have to eat more to make up for the energy you burn when you create objects? Is there a restriction to the size of an object you can make? Evidently you can make organic matter, but I’m assuming you can’t make living objects? So then can you-” 

“Midoriya, you’re going off on tangents again!” 

“Oh, sorry! I do that a lot I’m told.” 

“Why do you ask so many questions anyways. Do you actually remember the answers to them all?”

“I can’t remember every answer off the top of my head. That’s why I have this,” he exclaimed, reaching into his satchel and pulling out a notebook. “This is my notebook where I write down everything I learn about magic!” 

“Wow, really?”

“Yea! I’ve been doing it my whole life, since I first learned to write,” he said proudly. 

“But if you’ve been doing it your whole life why is that only ‘Vol. 16?’”

Izuku saw the flaw in his story. Sure, 16 volumes was acceptable for someone who was eighteen years old. However he was supposed to be nearly eighty, and an eighty year old only filling 16 flimsy little journals with notes was a little sad. 

“Oh, um, once I reached one hundred, I started over from the beginning. This is technically Volume 116.” 

“I see. Since the first ones were done so long ago, you probably use the difference in material and style of the notebooks to distinguish the new ones from the old. That makes sense.” 

“I-I’m not _that_ old!” 

After that discussion they finished setting up his living space and he got ready to start cleaning. Today Izuku was wearing a pale green shirt with an apron that he found in the closet tied around his waist. It was a clean white one that he sadly figured would be dirty soon. Maybe Todoroki had some sort of powder for stain removal. He also found a deep pine green handkerchief that he tied his loose curls back with. It reminded him of the color his hair had been back in his youth. He missed that hair color, it had gone so well with his eyes. 

Armed with a mop in one hand and a bucket in the other, he methodically planned out the best order in which to clean the house. Since he couldn’t clean Todoroki’s room (at least not yet, maybe with a bit of persuasion), he saw no point in cleaning the upstairs quite yet. He would give Yaoyorozu notice before he inevitably cleaned her room. He swept the stairs clean before he continued onwards. It would be best to clean the downstairs outer rooms first and work his way in towards the center. Izuku already knew his first target. 

“Shinsou, I’m going to clean the bathroom. Wish me luck” he announced, tightening the handkerchief around his head. He wouldn’t be able to adjust it while his hands were covered in muck. 

“It was nice knowing you, Midoriya,” the fire demon replied. He did his best impersonation of a salute. 

At that, Izuku took a deep breath and walked into the room. It still smelled like lavender and soaps at least, but the filth was still just as bad as he remembered. He filled up his bucket with water and started to scrub at the walls until they revealed themselves to be a pale blue color with a faint floral pattern. They were quite pretty. After that came the floor, then the toilet, then the sink. Izuku found out that Todoroki actually had a nice collection of cups, dishes, and silverware. They were all mismatched, much like the ones that Izuku and his mother had at home, only these were a higher quality and he figured the wizard had bought each separately, where Izuku’s family got their dishes as hand me downs or bargains. 

Eventually Izuku cleaned all the dishes, walls, mirrors, and the floor. It was finally time to tackle the tub. He scrubbed the insides for about an hour before he’d finally gotten rid of all the stains on the apparently white tub. He moved on to scraping the wax off the rest of the tub. There were some potions arranged next to the tub on a filthy end table. Izuku remembered that he’d been told not to mess with any potions in this room, but then again he wasn’t going to mess with them. He would clean off the outside of the bottles and then put them back exactly where they were before. 

He went to the main room and took a piece of scrap paper off the table and a piece of charcoal with which he drew a diagram of what the arrangement looked like. He would be sure to put it back exactly the way it was. Afterall, if he messed up the potion arrangement it could be disastrous! What if he swapped a bottle of mouthwash with the bottle labeled ‘drying power’ and then Todoroki was dehydrated for days? He shrugged away the thought and focused on making sure he got this right. 

He drew an acceptable diagram of the shelf and each bottle, complete with a key to show what each numbered bottle was labeled as. He was used to drawing little things in his notebooks where he took recorded his magical findings, and he’d gotten quite good at it. He made a mental note to draw a picture of Todoroki once he was done with the bathroom. He had no excuse not to now that he had seen what the beautiful wizard looked like. 

Cautiously, Izuku moved each potion to the side of the sink where he cleaned off the base of each, freeing years of filth and grime off each bottle. He promptly put them each one back down on the newly cleaned surface beneath. It was tedious, but he didn’t want Todoroki to be upset with him. He remembered the intense look that the wizard had given him that first day at breakfast and shivered. 

With the cleaning of the potions on the nightstand and vanity, the bathroom was almost done. For his finishing touch he went to the yard and gathered an empty flower pot and some soil, as well as a saucer for the pot to rest on. He brought the ensemble to the bathroom and placed it next to the tub while he pulled out the plant that had started to grow in the drain. As he patted down the soil around the little seedling he wondered what sort of thing it would grow into. When the task was complete, he placed it next to the sink so that he wouldn’t forget to water it. 

He washed his hands and stepped into the front room just as the door opened and in stepped Yaoyorozu, who was holding a box with the name of a pastry shop on it. She was smiling and holding it close like it were a precious gift or a baby animal. Izuku liked sweets too, but he thought that was a bit excessive treatment for some simple confectionaries. 

“Good afternoon,” he greeted with a smile. 

She startled, having been lost in thought. She nodded and waved at him with her free hand. 

“Hello, Midoriya! Sorry, I didn’t see you there. How are you?” 

“Good, but I didn’t know you had such a soft spot for pastries,” Izuku mentioned. “What kind did you get?” 

“Well, I’m not entirely sure what they’re called. They’re . . .” she paused and looked into the box she had, trying to recall what she’d bought. “These are shortbread cookies with jam in the middle, and it seems I also bought a cheese danish.” 

“How … do you buy something at the bakery and not remember what you bought or what they’re called?” 

“Well, I usually go with whatever the daily specials are, or whatever looks good, or . . . whatever the cashier recommends I try.” 

That was it! Izuku realized why she was being so coy. 

“Yaoyorozu, do you have a sweetheart?” 

“What? No, I mean … she’s very sweet and I’d like to get to know her better and I like listening to her talk. Okay, fine. I have a huge crush. If i’m being totally honest, I don’t know anything about sweets. I only go there to see her.” 

“How did you meet her?” Izuku had a huge smile on his face. 

He knew about the pastry shop that the box was from. The bakery was in the same town he grew up in and supposedly had some of the best pastries around. He’s been wanting to try them since he was younger, but the chance to taste expensive pastries wasn’t the only reason he was happy. He saw the sparkle in Yaoyorozu’s eyes as she talked about this girl she liked, and he wanted to hear all about their encounters! He was nothing if not a supportive friend and a good wingman. 

“Well, Todoroki and I went to Market Chippings a few months back for a festival and we accidentally got separated in the crowd. I went into the nearest shop to ask for directions and I ran into her when she was on her break. I mean I literally bumped into her, it was quite embarrassing!” 

Her brows were furrowed together and she wasn’t making eye contact. Her face was as red as Todoroki’s hair. She brought up her free hand to cover her cheek, but it only made her look more flustered. 

“Aww, that’s so great! Young love is wonderful, I wish you both the best!” 

“What about you, Midoriya? Did you ever have anyone special?” 

Isuku supposed that it did sound lonely, being nearly eighty and not having ever dated before. Then again, he knew plenty of people who were happy enough who had never dated, so maybe Yaoyorozu wouldn’t think of him as just a lonely old man. 

“I’ve never dated anyone. There have been a few people that caught my eye before but nothing ever happened.” He didn’t mention that one of the people that caught his eye was Todoroki. 

What he had said was the truth. He remembered how he had a crush on Uraraka when they were pre-teens. They had both said they would get married when they were older, but upon being older they both realized they were happier being friends instead. 

“Oh, I see. Well, Midoriya, it’s never too late to find love! The person who will make you happiest could be right around the corner and you’ll never know until you accidentally walk right into them.” 

“Thanks for the encouragement, Yaoyorozu.” 

“Please, you can call me Momo if you’d like.” 

“Oh, alright! And if you want you can call me Izuku.” 

“Izuku, that’s a nice name! Well, Izuku I hope we both have good luck with our romantic pursuits.” 

“T-thanks!” 

Momo left the box of pastries on the table, though she took the danish with her to eat in her room. Izuku made a mental note to check if she’d left any other food up there. He’d hate to have to clean out more critters other than spiders. He turned around to see Shinsou snickering. 

“Someone caught your eye? I’d have never noticed,” the fire demon said deadpanned. 

“Oh hush, you!” 

Izuku went over to eat one of the shortbread thumbprints that Momo had brought in. After just one bite, he was in love. This was an added incentive for him to help her and this girl fall in love. 

 

・・・・・

 

That afternoon, Izuku was organizing the spellbooks that were strewn about the tables in the mainroom. He had then in piles, alphabetically, and was considering asking Momo if she could create a bookcase to keep them on. It was then that he heard a knock on the door. The knock had a heavy official sound, and upon hearing it Shinsou opened his mouth and shouted to announce that it was the ‘Kingsbury Door.’

Izuku had learned after the first two times the door opened, that the single door led to four different locations. One was the wastes nearby Market Chippings where he had come to find the castle. Another location was in a small town by the water called Porthaven. The final door was in Kingsbury, the town where the palace was located. 

Momo came down the stairs and answered it before Izuku could put down the books in his hand. At the door was an official looking messenger who was holding a piece of parchment. 

“Good day to you, miss,” greeted the tall broad shouldered man who was wearing a suit of armor. It wasn’t the sort one would wear into battle, but a more lightweight and flashy variant that had been designed with presentation and movement in mind. The formal man continued. “The king has an important message that I must disclose to the Wizard Todoroki without haste! Would you kindly retrieve him so we may converse?” 

Did Izuku’s ears deceive him? He only knew one person who could take themselves that seriously while delivering such pompous and official sounding a speech. He peered over Momo’s shoulder. Indeed, it was none other than his childhood friend, Iida! 

“Todoroki is out for the day, Iida, may I pass along a message to him?” Momo and IIda were talking about official matters, and the two both seemed very awkward and formal. Meanwhile, Izuku was behind them in his dirty cleaning clothes. He was sure his hair was a mess and spilling out of the handkerchief. On top of that here had to be ten different stains across his apron. His hands and face were clean at least. 

Based on the way Iida looked at him, he evidently didn’t recognize him in his old age. Iida, cocked his head to the side and studied the man for a moment before he bowed to them both. 

“I’m sorry, I was uninformed that the sorcerer had guests. I vow I will not be so ill informed in the future. It is nice to meet a friend of Sir Todoroki’s. I’m assuming you are a wizard as well?”

“Sir Todoroki?” Izuku supposed if he did much work for the king, then it was to be expected that he would be given a title to suggest such.

“Indeed,” continued Iida. “Sir Todoroki was granted the honorary title by his royal highness for many years spent aiding the royal family in times of need.”

“Wait, Izu-” 

“Yes,” Izuku interrupted. He could tell Momo was about to tell Iida that he wasn’t a wizard, and even reveal his name. He wasn’t quite ready to have that conversation with Iida yet, so instead he cut her off. “Thank you ever so much for informing me, Iida. And you are correct in your assumption. I am one of the most powerful and cleanest Wizards in Ingary! It is nice to make your acquaintance.” 

“Likewise!” Iida bowed again. 

Izuku couldn’t wait until he was turned back into his youthful self so he could tease Iida about this for years to come. He had thought Iida went off to become a soldier, but clearly the King had other things in mind. Iida’s serious and official matter made him a perfect messenger, and his speed on both foot and horseback were unparallelled by most. Izuku didn’t know how he’d failed to realize how perfect Iida was for the job before now. 

“This parchment details the precise order that the King’s royal army has requested,” Iida continued as he spoke to Momo. “And here is payment in advance for the work. His royal highness has every faith in Sir Todoroki that he will solve the problem with efficiency and wit, much like he has in the past. Good day to you both, and thank you for granting me your valuable time.” 

With that, he handed Momo the letter and a considerably large coin purse. He bowed, and the two bowed back to him, though Izuku had to hold in a laugh as he did so. With that, Iida was off just as quickly as he had arrived. 

When Momo closed the door, Izuku could finally let out the laughter he’d been suppressing. Momo looked upset. 

“I know Iida may be overly formal, but you shouldn’t laugh at him and you certainly shouldn’t be lying to our customers!” 

Izuku tried to stop his laughter, but seeing Iida dressed in shiny armor and bowing to him was just too funny. He remembered last summer when he and Iida had a contest to see who could catch more popcorn in their mouths. Uraraka tossed the popped corn and he and Iida race to see who caught it first. Iida had caught nearly every one. 

“I’m not being mean!” There was another bout of laughter, and then he finally composed himself. “I used to know Iida, but it was a while back and he clearly doesn’t recognize me. I can’t believe I convinced him I was a wizard! He knows fully well that I couldn’t do magic to save my life!” 

“You . . . can’t do magic?” 

“Nope! Why do you ask? Did I somehow fool you too?” 

“No! I mean, I didn’t think you were an official wizard or anything, but you have such a strong magical presence to yourself and you take those magic notes and it’s so rare for someone to have zero magical capabilities these days.” 

“Yea, I guess fate just wasn’t on my side.” 

She hummed in agreement, but didn’t seem wholly convinced. She looked at the coin purse in her hands and decided to change the subject. 

“I’m glad Todoroki wasn’t here to see the payment. The man is horrible at spending money,” she sighed. 

“Wait, really?” 

“Yes! He doesn’t bother to save anything at all, he just spends it like he can just make more of it,” she complained. 

“Well, couldn’t you just make more money, Momo? You have creation magic!” 

“What? No! I mean I could physically do that but think about the impact it would have on the economy? I’d plunge our currency into being worth nothing if I kept it up!”

“Don’t worry,” giggled Izuku. “I was just teasing you.” 

“I see,” she noted. “You’re even crueler than Shinsou.” 

“I take offense to that,” the said fire demon retorted. 

“Anyways, where is Todoroki?” Izuku noticed that the man had left that morning, but didn’t ask where he was going. 

“He’s probably out eating hearts again,” Shinsou said. 

“Ah, that would make sense,” noted Momo, much to Izuku’s horror. 

“I-I’m sorry he’s doing what now? That’s so cruel! I didn’t want to believe the rumors were true!” His face had paled. _‘He seemed like such a nice guy!_

“Yes,” agreed Momo. I don’t see why he does it though. It’s so pointless and it is certainly difficult on Shinsou and me. We always get stuck cleaning up the mess.” 

“And you don’t feel bad about it? I’d expect such cruelty from Shinsou because he’s an evil demon-” 

“I don’t consider myself evil,” muttered Shinsou. 

“But you, Momo? I thought better of you. How can you help him kill those poor people?” 

“Wait, kill?” she seemed perplexed suddenly. “He’s never killed anyone, what do you mean?” 

Now it was Izuku’s turn to be confused. Hadn’t she just said he eats hearts? How did he do that without killing people? 

“Alright, it’s evident that we are all confused here. Please tell me what exactly he does to these people? I was told that he ate their hearts and took away their souls.”   
Momo started to laugh. 

“You must be from Market Chippings then, Izuku. Todoroki had me spread some rumors to keep people from trying to get into the castle. In reality, Todoroki tends to meet people who catch his interest and then he’ll court them up until they fall in love with him. For some reason he always loses interest in them right after.” 

“The worst are the ones that find out where he lives and come here. Sometimes they’re really angry and I have to scare them off with magic. Other times they’ll just cry until Momo lets them in and consoles them for a while and before sending them on their way. I hate those ones, I’m afraid they’ll drip on me,” Shinsou said with a shudder. 

Izuku was relieved to finally find out Todoroki didn’t actually harm people. He had seemed too nice for that sort of thing, so he’d assumed that was a nasty rumor. It didn’t help that Shinsou kept acting like it was true. Still, the news that Shouto was probably out courting someone made him feel disheartened. 

Of course Todoroki was interested in someone else. Izuku didn’t have much going for him even when he was young. He certainly wasn’t desirable as an old man. So Todoroki was probably after some cute girl who would make him happy up until he dumped her and moved on to the next one. He wondered if Todoroki broke men’s hearts as well as women’s or if it was just one or the other. He feared the worst. 

He was going to throw himself back into his cleaning in an attempt to engage with something other than those thoughts, when the door opened up and in stepped the wizard himself. He looked dreary, as he walked into the main room. 

“Shinsou, I’m going to need hot water,” he announced. 

“Of course, your highness,” said the fire demon with an eye roll. 

Todoroki took one step into the bathroom before he noticed it had been cleaned. He paused before turning back to look at Izuku, who looked hopeful. _‘He noticed!’_

“Please tell me you didn’t touch my potions in here,” he said drearily while looking at the bottles. 

“Me? I didn’t mess with them, I swear!” 

Todoroki looked reluctant, but shut the bathroom door behind himself despite the heistation. There was a moment of silence, and then some running water. Momo gathered herself to speak. 

“I really hope you didn’t touch his potions. He gets so upset about them. Plus, he already looks upset enough about whoever he’s courting. I don’t think it’s going well at all.” 

“I … did technically touch them,” Izuku muttered.

“You what!?” Momo looked horrified. 

“I told him the truth. I didn’t mess with them, I simply cleaned off the bottles and put them back. I even made a diagram with all the locations on them so I’d remember the order and put them back correctly.” 

“Alright, but what if you accidentally loosened the lid of one that needed to be properly sealed, or what if you disturbed one that is supposed to only sit as still as possible? There are too many variables with spells,” she muttered with hushed concern. 

“I . . . suppose I didn’t take that into account.” 

Suddenly the water stopped, and there was a scuffling noise in the bathroom. Izuku, Shinsou and Momo all shared a panicked look on their faces. Not a second later the bathroom door burst open, revealing Todoroki. 

He was dripping wet and dressed in only a towel. The look on his face was one of mortification and utter betrayal. It seemed a bit of an overreaction to the situation until Izuku noticed his hair. What had been pale silver and red before was now as white as freshly fallen snow and the most garish, overly saturated orange hue that Izuku could imagine. 

“Midoriya, what have you done to me,” he wailed, leaning against the doorframe weakly. 

Suddenly worried that the potion had done more harm than changing his hair color, Izuku rushed over to the man, too concerned to take into account that he was standing a foot away from a shirtless Todoroki. He put a hand on the man’s shoulder to support him. 

“Todoroki, are you alright? I’m sorry I didn’t realize the potions were that delicate! I never would have-” 

“I’m not alright. Something terrible has happened. My … my hair, Midoriya. Do you see this? I look like the frosting on a carrot cake. My life is ruined.” 

“Is … is that really it? You’re not hurt?” 

“My pride is gravely wounded.” 

Izuku let go of him, no longer concerned. 

“If you’re not actually injured, just calm down. Take a deep breath. We can re-dye your hair. I’m sure Momo can mix up a new potion.” 

“It can’t undo what I’ve seen,” muttered the Wizard. Looking closely Izuku could see ice forming along Todoroki’s right side. 

_‘Oh no, that couldn’t be good.’_

Todoroki slowly walked over to one of the wooden chairs by the table and draped himself over it, like he was an expressive marble statue. He closed his eyes and a blue ooze started to form all over his body. It slowly started to drip off of him and onto the floor. _‘And after I just swept there too,’_ thought Izuku. _‘At least I hadn’t washed there yet.’_

The ooze spread across the room and started to freeze in place. It spread out all around Todoroki, until it started to reach the floor where they were all standing. Izuku hopped up on a chair, alarmed by the rapid expansion of the ooze Todoroki was secreeting. Momo sighed, and joined Izuku on the chair. She looked a lot calmer about it. She seemed more frustrated than worried. 

“What is happening? Has he ever done this before? Should we be worried?” 

There was a low rumble like a fog horn that started to sound throughout the whole house, and shadowy figures started to form around the walls, which were now shaking. _’Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse!’_

“He’s communing with the forces of darkness,” Momo observed. “I saw him do this once when a boy dumped him.” 

Izuku was too worried about Todoroki to observe that she’d mentioned him dating boys. Instead, the two of them silently agreed to get off the chair they stood on, since it was shaking with the rest of the house. They both made for the door as more ice cold ooze was spreading. They got to the door just before the ooze did, trapping it inside. 

They were in Porthaven now, and Izuku was peeved to find that the noise continued outside the castle as well, and was causing quite the panic in the streets. The folks who lived around the are all frantically ran away or gathered to looked on in horror as the entirety of the wizard’s residence started to freeze up from the inside out. Frost formed along all the windows, walls, and even the ground adjacent to it. It certainly was persistent. 

“So you’ve seen this happen before?” 

“It wasn’t so drastic last time. He must really care about his looks. Last time there wasn’t so much ice. I suppose we should be glad he doesn’t use his fire powers.” 

“He has fire powers?” 

She nodded. 

“Yes. His mother was a powerful Ice Witch, and his father was a powerful Flame Wizard,” she began. Izuku knew all too well about Shouto’s father. “He doesn’t talk much about them, even with me. He just said that his father was a cruel person and so he would never use the power he’d given him.” 

“Does that mean … is that scar on his face from …” Izuku didn’t want to say it. 

“I can’t say for certain.” 

Izuku felt himself shiver. Even more reasons to hate Endeavor. He wanted to make that man pay for daring to lay a finger on Todoroki. 

They looked back at the house. The noise had stopped and the ice had slowed down, but hadn’t stopped spreading. Izuku sighed, wondering how much longer Todoroki was going to throw this tantrum. A young woman approached the pair with a worried expression. 

“Excuse me, Mr. Wizard,” she began as she addressed Izuku. He couldn’t help but wonder if word had spread that fast about Todoroki having another wizard living with him, or if she assumed that because he had departed from the same house where only other powerful wizards lived. “Is there something wrong? Is the sorcerer alright?” 

She seemed worried, and while Izuku didn’t know exactly what Todoroki’s condition was in there, he wanted to reassure her. 

“He’ll be fine, don’t worry. He’s just throwing a tantrum.” Izuku looked back to Momo as soon as the woman left. “Shouldn’t check on him now? It looks like the ice has stopped.” 

“I don’t know if it’s safe,” Momo began. She didn’t realize she was talking to Izuku, who was going to check on Todoroki no matter what. 

He approached the door, and tried to open it. It was frozen stuck. He whined. 

“Come on, door. Open up for me! I need to get inside, who knows what state Shouto is in,” he whispered. 

The door seemed to take a moment and consider Izuku’s argument before it slowly thawed a little. It wasn’t completely unfrozen, just enough to let him inside. Izuku wondered if Todoroki had calmed down a little and that was what cause the thaw. 

His hopes were proven wrong when he opened the door and was met with a foot of goop, that had frozen solid. It seemed Todoroki hadn’t stopped being upset, he’d simply fallen asleep. The ice was two centimeters away from reaching Shinsou who was helpless to stop it since he was trapped in the hearth. 

The ice around Todoroki himself wasn’t physically on him. The wizard was ice free apart from the layer of frost and solidified slime that covered his body. Izuku worried that that much ice frozen to his body couldn’t be good for him. Since Todoroki wasn’t stuck to anything, Izuku crawled across the ice to where he was and picked him up. In his attempt to carry him safely over the ice, Izuku accidentally let the towel around the man’s waist fall to the floor. _‘I’ll get that later,’_ he told himself. 

“Shinsou, I’m going to need hot water,” he yelled. “Very hot water, and lots of it.” 

He carried Todoroki to the bathroom, and Momo got the door for him. They were both grateful that the bathroom door opened inwards, or else they would have had to chip away at it before they could get him in. Izuku gently placed him in the tub and started to run the hot water out of the spout. It filled up the the tub and slowly thawed out the wizard.

“Do you need anything else?” Momo was standing in the door. She seemed to understand that Izuku could do this by himself and it would probably be awkward if she was there too. 

“If you can scrape away at the ice in the main room and toss what you can into the Wastes, I’d be grateful.” 

She nodded, and left the two alone, as she started to create an Ice Pick. 

Izuku watched the water level, and found a clean washcloth. He dipped it in the hot water and used it to wipe away at the frost and slime that still covered parts of Todoroki’s face. Now that he was alone with the man and there was no immediate danger, it dawned on him just how close they were and how little clothing one of them had on. Izuku refused to look down, wanting to respect the wizard’s privacy. 

Todoroki seemed to have tired himself out with the slime and ice, and was now peacefully napping. Izuku had to admit he looked cute like that. His eyes carried none of that intensity or sadness he’d seen in them other times, and his lips were almost forming a soft smile. He hoped he was having a pleasant dream. 

Izuku refilled the tub and drained it a few times while Todoroki slept, to wash away the slime on the lower parts of his body. He didn’t want to be invasive and wash anything lower than his waist. He figured that was something Todoroki could do when he finally woke up. He ran the washcloth over the man’s chest fondly. He wouldn’t let his eyes wander below the waist, but Izuku couldn’t help but admire the rest of him. Todoroki was more muscular than he’s imagined. His body was toned and he had defined abs, pecs, and biceps. Izuku couldn’t imagine why a wizard would need all that, when they could just use magic to fix most of their problems. 

The gentle eyelashes on Todoroki’s face started to flutter open, and he raised his hand up to meet the one on his chest. 

“Izuku,” Todoroki whispered. 

“Y-yes?” 

He was glad Todoroki’s eyes were only partially open, and maybe he didn’t see the look on his face or the flush that spread from ear to ear. The hand on his own was still there, and it was warm from being under the water. It didn’t slip Izuku’s attention that this was the first time since he’s met the man that he’d called him by his first name. It sounded nice coming off of his lips.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I shouldn’t have lost my temper with you. You couldn’t have known how important the potions were to me.” 

“No, I’m the one who should be sorry. You asked me not to touch them and I did it anyways. I didn’t respect your boundaries. When you first stepped out I thought you had gotten hurt by my mistake and I was so worried.”

“That’s my fault too. I caused you unnecessary grief by being over dramatic and I probably ruined all the work you’d put into cleaning up today.”

Izuku started to cry, and let out a half sob half laugh and squeezed Todoroki’s hand in his own. 

“I don’t care about all of that! I’m just glad you’re okay!” 

Todoroki opened up his eyes fully, and looked up at Izuku’s tear ridden face. Izuku noticed how sad the other man looked, a deep remorse in his eyes. 

“And now I’m making you cry, I’m sorry.” 

“No! I’m not sad!” 

“But then … why are there tears on your face?” 

“They’re tears of relief,” Izuku sobbed. “Let’s both agree to never do any of this again, okay? My old heart can’t take it.” 

Izuku smiled caringly at Todoroki, who couldn’t resist the urge to smile back. They stayed there for a moment, hand in hand, smiling through tearfilled eyes. Izuku didn’t care about the tantrum from earlier. There was no permanent damage, and most importantly the man he cared about was safe. No, he wasn’t just someone that Izuku cared about. As the tears rolled down his cheeks and into the tub he was leaning over, he had to admit it to himself. 

He, Izuku Midoriya, age somewhere between eighteen and eighty, was falling head over heels in love with Shouto Todoroki. There was nothing he could do to stop it, and he didn’t want to! He loved Shouto and wouldn’t trade these feelings for his youth, or the world, or anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Izuku finally admits he's in love! Now, when will Shouto admit it? Also, upon finding out I was writing a BNHA fic my sister asked if I'd put in a shirtless Todoroki scene, and I guess I can now say that I have. Oh, also Yaoyorozu has a crush on Jirou who works at a bakery that is run by Sato (who else, duh)! Anyways, thanks for reading! I hope you're still enjoying it! 
> 
> I'm open to suggestions/comments/etc, so feel free! I do read every single comment and I use them as fuel to write more! Thank you all for your kind words and just know that when I read the comments I'm like most likely burying my face in a pillow trying to deal with how sweet you all are!


	6. We Can Share the Moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still feeling guilty about the events that transpired earlier, Todoroki realizes that Izuku's doesn't have a clean bed to sleep in and comes up with a solution.

Todoroki felt bad about all he had done that day. When he saw the look on Izuku’s face, so full of love and forgiveness, he couldn’t help but feel he didn’t deserve it. He’d gotten upset, made Izuku worried, caused a mess, and now made him cry. He remembered the ways his father would play with people’s emotions to get what he wanted and couldn’t help but see a parallel between that and his actions. Anyone he told this would say it was an unfair comparison and he was being too hard on himself, which is why he didn’t tell anyone. 

Instead he held onto the other man’s hand, not wanting to hurt his feelings anymore than he already had. They stayed like that for a while, peacefully coexisting. A few minutes later, Izuku announced that he should go help Momo clean up outside. 

In his absence, Todoroki used the wash towel to clean the slime off his waist and legs before he drained the water and wrapped up in a bathrobe. He was about to leave the room, but he caught sight of his hair in a fogged up mirror and decided for the time being he would wrap it up so no one else had to be subjected to its awful color. He hoped Izuku didn’t take offense to that. 

He paused for a moment. When had he started to call the man by his first name? The first time they met Todoroki had called the man by the name he heard him called, which was neither his first or last name. He would have to figure out where the nickname ‘Deku’ came from, but didn’t want to question him about it since Izuku hadn’t yet realized he knew who he was. 

He walked out of the steamy bathroom and into the main room, which was still chilly despite the ice being mostly gone. Izuku and Momo had managed to clean up a lot, and he couldn’t help but wonder how long he had been unconscious for. He shamefully avoided eye contact as he walked up to his room to get dressed. Maybe when he had clothes on he could help complete the cleanup process. 

In the safety of his own room he disrobed and picked out a clean white tunic to wear and some black pants. It was his usual outfit style, but he had a lot of slight variants. Some white shirts were button down shirts, while others were more loose with fitted edges and drawstrings at the neck. Some white shirts had faint patterns like flowers, or others had textures that differentiated them. Most of the black pants were dress pants, but he had some casual ones as well. He chose the casual option for the moment. 

As he got dressed on his bed it occurred to him that Izuku had to sleep in the room he ruined with slime, and it was getting later by the second. He knew the other man was too nice to complain or ask for a different place to sleep. Shouto had forgotten to set him up with a real bed in the first place. It had been Momo who gave him the cot and made extra blankets. He wasn’t about to make him clean that room and then sleep on slimy or damp sheets. He pulled his shirt on over his head and headed downstairs to stop Izuku. 

As he walked in he saw Momo shoveling out the last of the slime, while Izuku was making piles of slimy versus slime free items. He hadn’t bothered to get to his bedsheets yet. 

“Izuku,” he called out softly. 

This caught the attention of his apprentice and the fire demon, who both looked at him quizzically. 

“Since when are you two on a first name basis? What exactly happened in that bathroom?” Shinsou was looking at Izuku and raising his eyebrows suggestively. In turn, the man flicked some of the watery slime that was on his hands at the fire demon, who recoiled and grew silent. 

“Oh. I didn’t realize I’d started doing that. I can stop if you want.”

“You can call me Izuku, but only if I get to call you Shouto.” Izuku had a gentle smile across his face, and his eyes had a soft and fond look to them. 

“Of course.” 

Momo was looking at izuku suspiciously. 

“How did you know that his first name was Shouto?”

“Oh, it was something I heard a rumor about. You know, I keep notes on all the important wizards in my notebooks.” 

“...Notebooks?” Now it was Shouto who was confused. 

“Oh, right,” he said. “I was showing them to Momo earlier. I take notes on magic in these. I have even more back home.”

Izuku pulled out the notebook from his pillowcase. It was a little damp, but luckily none of the pages were wet. Shouto took the book in one hand and with the other he did a sweeping gesture that pulled all the water and slime away. Suddenly the book was completely dry. He started to thumb through the pages. There were a lot of notes about All Might or about friends of izuku’s who were magically gifted, and there was even a page about . . . him? 

Shouto stared at it. He was looking at a portrait of himself. It looked like a recent addition. Shouto took a moment to admire the little drawing. 

“You’re a wonderful artist, Izuku.” 

“T-thank you!” Shouto observed that Izuku was clearly embarrassed that he’d been caught taking notes on him. 

He started to read the page. On it there was a whole list of rumors, and Shouto regretted spreading some of them. Evidently Izuku had noticed a lot of them were fake and had crossed out or corrected them. He noticed one that read “eats human hearts/steals souls” emphatically crossed out. He chuckled at that, and he didn’t notice how surprised the others were at the smile and laughter that he was displaying. That smile soon faded, when he saw another note that said “Endeavor’s son.” Of course, his father had mentioned him when he put the spell on Izuku. His father had always taken pride in showing him off like a toy when he was younger. Shouto tried to hide the emotions he felt about his father, not wanting to seem like he was mad at Izuku. 

“Thank you for letting me read that,” he said handing the book back with a smile. “Do you have a moment to talk with me upstairs?” 

“Um, sure,” he said. The two walked silently up to Todoroki’s room. 

Once they were inside Todoroki closed the door behind them. He figured it was good Izuku didn’t think he ate souls, or else being alone with him might have been more threatening. He gestured for Izuku to sit on the bed, and he obliged. 

“What is this about, Shouto?” 

He had to admit it was nice hearing him call him by his first name again. He composed himself before he spoke. He had to do something to keep Izuku from trying to sleep on that horrible damp bed downstairs, this seemed like his best option unless he was going to ask Momo to create a second bed. 

“I think you should sleep here tonight,” he said. He noticed Izuku’s face go as red as a tomato. “I mean, you should sleep here rather than me. I ruined your bed downstairs, so I’ll sleep in it instead of you. Just please resist the urge to clean up here. I like it this messy.” 

“But, the downstairs bed is all wet!”

“I’ll use the Drying Power on it.” 

“But it’s so small, you’re probably too tall for it!” 

“It’s fine.” 

“Shouto …” 

“Yes?” 

Izuku had stood up and was standing in front of him. He was looking him in the eyes with his own beautiful green ones. They were full of determination. 

“You should sleep here tonight too.” 

Now it was Todoroki’s turn to blush. 

“No, I’ve already caused you enough trouble.”

“It’s no trouble, you have a king sized bed,” Izuku assured. 

“But-” 

“Nope, sorry Shouto. If you don’t sleep here tonight I will probably stay up all night worried about you sleeping on that damp straw mattress, so please just do me a favor and sleep here?” 

There was something about Izuku that was so persuasive. He had a way of just talking until it made more sense to agree with him than not to. Shouto couldn’t tell if that was part of his magic or if he was personally affected because of his crush on him. He sighed. 

“You know Shinsou will never let either of us live this down, right?” 

“Don’t worry, I’ll flick more water at him until he leaves us alone.” 

There was that smile again. Shouto found himself smiling back at him, and for a moment it felt right. Izuku went downstairs to take a shower and wash off the slime and filth from earlier. When he came back up he had changed into a lightweight nightshirt and pajama pants with lace trim on the bottom. For a moment Shouto thought he could see the man the way he looked when he was young, not the older creature his father had turned him into. He was so full of youth and energy. Todoroki smiled at the thought that with time and a lot of studying he might be able to return Izuku to his true form soon enough. 

 

・・・・・

 

Shouto had gone to sleep hours ago, but he woke up suddenly. He assumed he’d had a nightmare, but now the memories of it were fleeting and he tried not to chase them as they drifted away. 

He couldn’t help but feel he’d tricked Izuku into sleeping in his bed with him that night, no matter what the other told him. Of course he wanted Izuku in the bed, but he hadn’t expected the other to insist he joined as well. Maybe if he hadn’t told him he would sleep on the damp mattress downstairs? Or maybe if he’d lied and said there was another place he could sleep? No, then Izuku would have insisted on sleeing there. He was too selfless. 

He carefully lifted the covers, hoping not to wake Izuku who was sleeping beside him. He looked so peaceful in his sleep, like all the worries that his life had brought didn’t exist as long as his eyes were closed. 

Todoroki wished that were the case for himself as well. Some nights he didn’t dream at all, and that was what he liked best. Other nights he would have horrible nightmares remembering what life was like when he was still living with his father, or dreams where everything seemed so nice only for him to wake up feeling lonely. Often it was a combination of the two, his least favorite. 

Shouto walked down the stairs and out the entrance to sit on the stoop of the castle’s doorstep out in the Wastes. He thought more about the dream he’d had while Izuku had him in the tub. He’d dreamt of his mother. In the dream she was comforting him, holding him in her arms. He realized that hug had been the last one he had before Izuku. He remembered his mother’s voice saying something, but the exact words were distant, like she was calling out to him from across a field rather than holding him close in her arms. 

He hadn’t seen her since he left home, and he missed her dreadfully. He didn’t know what had happened to her, but he hoped she had escaped a life of his father’s daily torment just as she had helped him to do. 

He mindlessly brought a hand up to his face and felt the scar she had given him. It didn’t hurt anymore, but he knew it would never go away. When he was first living on his own he’d tried to learn some healing magic so he could make it go away, but when that didn’t work he accepted this was who he would be now. A small price to pay for freedom. 

The night was chilly, and lit only by the stars and the bright moonlight. There wasn’t a single cloud in sight, and the fog that covered the hills had dissipated for the time being. It made for a peaceful view, and he couldn’t help but feel relaxed by his surroundings even just a little.  
He heard the door creek open behind him, and when he turned around Izuku was there. He had one of the blankets from Shouto’s bed wrapped around his shoulders and his eyes were sleepy, but aware. 

“Izuku, I’m sorry to wake you. I tried not to make too much noise.” 

He’d had plenty of practice walking around without making noise from times when he’d had to sneak around the house late at night without his father knowing. In those years he perfected the art of silently walking. He would step close to the wall where the floorboards were quieter, and he would hide behind furniture if he heard someone coming. He’s cleanry gotten out of practice if he’d woken Izuku. 

“No, that’s not it. I just woke up on my own to get some water and I noticed you weren’t there anymore, so I thought you must be sleeping downstairs or wandering out here.” 

“I see. You don’t have to stay up for my sake, you need your sleep.” 

Izuku sat down on the stoop next to him, and wrapped the blanket around the both of them. 

“If I didn’t want to be awake I wouldn’t be. I was a little worried that something had happened to you actually, when I woke up and you were gone.” Shouto opened his mouth to apologize again, but Izuku hushed him. “I know you’re capable of protecting yourself, but it still worries me anyways. There are . . . things out here that would hurt you.”

“The wastes are dangerous, but I’ve lived out here for years. It’s a danger I’m used to, I assure you.” 

“But what if there were … new things out here? Things that weren’t the usual dangers.” 

Shouto realized he was talking about Endeavor. He sighed. Izuku knew Endeavor was his father, and he clearly knew a little of what the man was capable of, hence his current condition. Evidently, Izuku had realized Endeavor was searching for Shouto. Either the man had told him, or Izuku figured out from context clues. 

“He … shouldn't be able to find me here. When I was twelve my mother put an enchantment on me that freed me from his magic. It dispelled the effects he had put on me, and it made it impossible for him to detect my current presence with any sort of divination. The spell was painful, and involved pouring boiling water over my face. It hurt for such a long time, but thanks to her I was able to run away. I haven’t seen my father in six years, but I still live in fear of him finding me somehow despite her magic and the wards I’ve put up around the castle. I do understand what you mean, when you say there’s danger. You gave me enough hints I was able to realize.” 

“So you know he’s after you and you’re still out here?” 

“Izuku, I’ve been running from him for six years. If I spent every day worrying that he’ll find me, I would never leave the castle for anything. It would get incredibly boring. I would be alive, but I wouldn’t be living. I’d just have gone from living in one prison to another.”

“I … I guess I didn’t think of it like that.” 

“You couldn’t have known. I don’t tell people about him for a reason. I didn’t realize you knew until I saw it in your notebook.” 

“Oh.” 

“Thank you, Izuku.” 

“What for?” 

“For trying to warn me, for caring about my wellbeing, for taking care of me this afternoon … take your pick.”

“Well, you’re welcome for all of those, but you don’t need to thank me for that. It’s what anyone would do.” 

“You’re not just anyone, Izuku Midoriya. You’re special.”

“You’re just saying that because you haven’t slept enough,” Izuku retorted. 

“I slept all evening, you were there.” 

“Hmm, I suppose. I don’t count passing out as getting sleep.” 

Passing out was Shouto’s preferred method of sleeping. He typically worked until he was too tired to go on and would nap where he was. He knew that concept would terrify Izuku, so he didn’t mention it. He’d caused worry Izuku enough in the short time he’d been staying at the castle. 

“Izuku, I’m sorry again that I got so upset earlier.” 

“Really, you don’t have to worry about it.” 

“But, getting angry over something so small is something my father would have done. It wasn’t okay, and I need to learn to control my emotions better.”

“Shouto, you’re being too hard on yourself over it. Stop apologizing, I made you look like a carrot, and I already said you were forgiven for any damages you caused. If you want to try and be a better person, than try and figure out why you got so upset and work on that.” 

_‘Izuku is so insightful,’ he thought._ But what was it that caused him to act like that? Why exactly did he get so upset? He would have to think critically about this more. 

“I’ll do that then. Thank you Izuku, you are very wise for your age.” 

“Well, I am nearly eighty. If eight decades didn’t make me wise, then I don’t know what would.” 

Izuku stood up, taking the blanket with him. Shouto whined at the sudden cold. He looked up at Izuku pleadingly. 

“Izuku…” 

“If you want the blanket, you’ll have to come back to bed, alright? I’m going to get a few more hours of sleep in before the sun comes up. You can join me if you want to be warm.” 

He followed Izuku back into the house, and they went up into his room together. Shouto crawled under the covers, ignoring how Izuku laughed at him. Izuku put the blanket over the both of them, and rested his head on one of the pillows so he could face towards the wizard while they slept. Shouto watched as he closed his eyes and snuggled into the plethora of blankets and pillows. Instead of sleeping, he took a moment to admire Izuku’s face. He thought the other had already fallen asleep, but then Izuku opened his eyes and caught him staring. A smile formed across his sleepy face. 

“Go to sleep, Shouto, I’ll still be here in the morning.” 

“Right,” Shouto yawned. “Will do.” 

He didn’t do that though. He closed his eyes with the intention to sleep. He listened to Izuku’s breath attentively like it was a song he was hearing for the first time, and when he noticed it had evened out indicating that the other man was asleep at last, he found his eyes fluttering open again to take in the sight of the other. In his sleep, Izuku appeared young again, even if it was just in Shouto’s eyes. 

“Izuku Midoriya,” he whispered to himself. He was half tempted to cup the Izuku’s cheek in his hand, but was worried that would wake him up again. “I won’t let father lay a finger on you. I’ll find a way to save you, I promise.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sister: You're writing too fast, pace yourself more
> 
> Me, posting chapters like 12 hours after I just posted the last one: wdym


	7. He'll Break His Own Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I'm back from Comic Con! I hope you enjoy this chapter! It might be a bit strange if you haven't read the book but if you read it until the end I promise it will make sense! 
> 
> (Spoilers: In the book Sophie has a sister who Howl goes to to get insight on Sophie from so he can try and break her curse, but he pretends that he's trying to date her. He goes to visit her and Sophie and Michael catch them together. Neither the sister, whose name is Lettie, nor Howl are actually interested in each other romantically. 
> 
> When I was trying to think of how to introduce Uraraka and Iida into the story I sort of thought of them like Sophie's two sisters who both left for apprenticeships while she stayed home to work the hat shop. I love Uraraka and wanted to work her into the story, so I've been trying to think of how to write this chapter since day one. Also, I'm ignoring the part of the book where the dog/cursed wizard is in love with Lettie/Uraraka. The dog is someone else, but who could it be i wonder?)

Izuku woke up to a warm blanket wrapped around him. Despite the hot weather they’d been having in the afternoons, it was always so cold in the morning and Izuku found the comfort of the large blanket made him reluctant to wake up. He just wanted to lay in his bed a little longer …. until he remembered it wasn’t his bed. 

His eyes shot open, expecting to see a mess of orange and white hair opposite him, but found the other side of the bed to be devoid of any such sight. His heart sank, feeling robbed of the sight of a sleeping Shouto Todoroki. _‘He must be downstairs …. or he’s outside again. Hopefully he’s just downstairs.’_

His thoughts returned to the conversations he’d had with Shouto earlier. He knew that he couldn’t imagine all the things that the sorcerer had gone through before the age of twelve. He noticed tears forming in the corner of his eyes as he felt far too many emotions at once. There was sympathy and compassion for the man he loved, there was an intense desire to protect him, anger at what his father had done to him, but on top of it all there was pride. He was so proud of Shouto for getting away and making a life for himself despite it all. 

Izuku spent a few moments more cuddled up in the warm duvet and thinking about everything he and Shouto had talked about the night before. Finally he composed himself and got out from his cocoon of blankets. 

The floor was cold against his bare feet, and were it not for his desire to go see Shouto he might have gotten back into bed again. Instead he looked around the room for something warm to wear other than the covers. He found an old jacket that had been thrown over the back of a chair. It was white with navy a navy blue collar and embroidery. It looked like a nice jacket, but it had some holes in it, and the jacket was set aside as if Shouto had meant to fix it later, and never got around to it. 

Izuku put it on, and found it to be very cozy. It might have been a cozy jacket, or maybe it was only comfortable in the way the clothing stolen from those one cares about always seemed to be. It was made perfect by being a piece of them that you could hold close. 

Properly cozy, Izuku set foot outside the room and walked down the stairs, but it seemed different. For one, there was no ice or slime in sight. Izuku wondered if it was all somewhere out in the wastes now, or if Todoroki had a more elegant and magical solution than the shovels and mops he and Momo had been using. The piles of slime covered things that Izuku had organized the previous night were now all clean and on the tables, which were still just as messy as they had been beforehand. 

Then there was his bed. The mattress had been stripped of all its covers, sheets, and pillowcases. The pillows and mattress itself were all cleaner than they were when he’d first gotten them, and folded on top of them was his satchel, his notebook, and a stack of folded clothing, that had evidently been inside the satchel. They were all freshly laundered and upon further inspection Izuku noted that they smelled like lavender, just like the candles in the bathroom. 

Just then, the door opened quietly and Shouto stepped in out of the wastes. His hair had been fixed. It wasn’t the ugly colors it was a few hours ago but it wasn’t the way it had looked the day before either. The side that had been pale silver before was still that pure shade of white, but not it seemed to sparkle in the right light. The side that was previously red, and then orange, had returned to red again but now it was much deeper. It was the same red as a ripe apple, or a ruby, or blood. It was striking. He couldn’t help but think it was his best look yet. _‘Cute.’_

His hands were full of bedsheets and other sleeping amenities that he seemed to have cleaned outside and magically dried without having to hang them. He had a peaceful soft smile on his face, as if he was proud of his cleaning work. Izuku got the feeling it was the most that he had cleaned in a long while. 

“Shouto, did you clean all of this?” 

The wizard startled, not having noticed Izuku yet. His eyes widened initially, having been lost in thought, but they went back to normal noticing that it was just him. 

“Oh, good morning Izuku.” 

He avoided answering the question evidently, but Izuku was having none of it. He approached and took the pile of fabric, placing it on a nearby chair. Shouto looked confused, and to clarify Izuku wrapped his arms around the other’s waist and pulled him close into a hug. The hug was light at first, but then he felt Shouto hug back and hold him tightly. There was something so desperate in the way the wizard’s strong arms pulled him in and seemed incapable of letting go. It seemed to say ‘don’t go yet,’ and Izuku happily obliged. 

His face was pressed against Shouto’s chest, and into it he muttered a ‘thank you’. It was so soft that it might have gone unheard had they not been so close. 

“It was nothing,” the sorcerer whispered into his ear. 

Izuku nearly shivered, and he thought that he could get used to this closeness and intimate whispering. He couldn’t contain a smile as he imagined a future full of little moments like this. He pictured waking up in these arms every morning and whispering good mornings and sweet phrases full of love. He was glad that Shouto couldn’t see the flush on his cheeks while he thought about it all. 

The moment was over all too soon as Shouto spoke up. 

“Why are you wearing my old jacket, by the way?” 

“Oh … I was cold and it was the first things I saw,” he said, as they both pulled back from the embrace. “I noticed it has some holes in it actually, if you’d like I could mend it.” 

“Well, I could just fix it with magic you don’t have to.” 

“Then why haven’t you?” 

“I was …. Going to get to it eventually?” 

“I’ll just sew it up for you, don’t worry about a thing.” 

Shouto nodded. He seemed to realize how close the two of them were, and stepped back. Izuku missed the company immediately, but hoped his disappointment didn’t show on his face. His heart and body both wanted to step close and hug him again, but his rational thinking told him not to push it. 

The wizard leaned over to the pick up the sheets again and he placed them on top of the bed. Izuku watched in amazement as he spread his hands apart and the sheets themselves started to unfold. They crawled underneath the piles that were on top of the mattress, and tucked their edges underneath neatly. The pillowcases wrapped themselves around the pillows and placed themselves side by side. Shouto looked over at him, the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips. He was evidently trying to pretend he hadn’t done that just to see Izuku’s adoring reaction. 

A voice piped up from the fireplace sarcastically. 

“Show off,” muttered Shinsou. 

Shouto shot him a disapproving look, wounded that his own demon would call him out. He wasn’t surprised by it at all, just hurt. Izuku gently gripped his arm. 

“Shouto, that was amazing!”

The wizard looked into Izuku’s green eyes, and was clearly satisfied with the gaze of wonder he saw in them. He was having a hard time containing his smile.

“Oh,” the wizard said playing coy. “It was nothing, really.” 

There was a scoff from behind them. 

“Hush, you,” warned Izuku. 

“Since Shinsou is awake, I’ll make us some breakfast,” Shouto said, giving into his urge to smile. It spread over his lips and there was a twinkle in his eyes. Izuku was reminded of his own vow to make the wizard smile more, and considered this to be a success. 

 

・・・・・

 

Later that day Izuku was the only one in the house and feeling lonely. Shouto had left to get more spell materials and Momo had gone to visit her crush at the bakery. Izuku had requested she bring back some raspberry turnovers, but he knew that no amount of pastries could make him feel less alone when it was just him and Shinsou in the house. It wasn’t that the fire demon was boring company, it’s just that he wanted something different. He wanted friends he could laugh with, and touch, and reminisce with. 

This loneliness wasn’t entirely new. Back before he was living in the castle he felt this all too often. It all started when Uraraka and Iida left for their apprenticeships, leaving him alone at home with only his mother for company. Iida had left first, following in his brother’s footsteps and trying to uphold the Iida family name. Uraraka had wanted to stay and help her parents, but they insisted that she leave. They wanted her to live her own life. So she had gone with Thirteen, a wizard she had idolized since she was a child. He was a magician who specialized in rescuing others and she had always respected using magic for the good of others. Izuku was proud of them both, but it meant he didn’t see them anymore. He could never be sure where Iida was to be, since it was up to the King and other royal guards. Meanwhile, he knew where Uraraka was, but it was at the edge of Kingsbury, which was so far away. 

_‘Wait, but it’s not far anymore!’_ he realized. 

How had he not realized, he was all the closer to his friend now! He could go visit her anytime he wanted! The only problem now was convincing Uraraka that he was himself and not just a strange old man. Then again, if anyone were able to tell who he was it would be her. She was his best friend and a powerful wizard. 

Just in case, he dressed in all shades of green. He figured this would remind her of his hair. Plus, she had always told him the color suited his personality. He didn’t know what it meant, but he took her compliments to heart no matter what they were. 

“Shinsou, I’m off to see my friend, can you hold down the fort while I’m gone?”

“Sure, but are you sure you’ll be okay walking all that way?”

“Are you legitimately concerned about me? That’s sweet of you! I knew you had a heart after all.” 

“Yes, I have a heart, but it’s not mine.” 

“Ha ha,” Izuku said flatly and a little nervously. The demon’s sarcasm could be a bit hard to read sometimes, and Izuku wondered if Shinsou had actually stolen a physical body part. He waved goodbye and headed for the door.

The demon sighed, and bid him farewell. 

With that, he was out on the street looking for Thirteen’s residence. It was rather large from what Uraraka had described, which explained why it had to be on the edge of town. Being in an urban setting meant lots of people who needed saving, but being closer to the city’s edge meant there was more room for training grounds. Thirteen apparently had a large backyard with different terrains, and quite the garden. Uraraka had sent him a few pressed flowers that he kept on his nightstand. 

Izuku passed by tall row houses and manors that lined the streets of inner Kingsbury. They were grand but they made him feel uncomfortable. He couldn’t help but feel his bedroom at home was the size of the bathrooms they had here. This kind of life was probably what Momo grew up with. 

After a while the compact streets started to thin out and there were some parks and more municipal buildings, then those too thinned and led to more spread out houses. These houses looked more like what Uraraka had described in her letters. He remembered the street and number that were on the letters he received, and he soon spotted the residence in question. 

Thirteen’s house was on the smaller side, but the entire plot of land was massive. A tall metal fence separated the yard from the street, and Izuku could see different terrains stretching into the back of the house for miles. But then, the plot of land wasn’t that big was it? Thirteen must use magic to make the massive interior compact enough to fit inside. Maybe it was similar to the door in the castle, and the gate to the fense led somewhere else entirely? No, it had to be something less powerful, otherwise Thirteen could have set up the house anywhere he wanted. Izuku realized he’s gotten caught up in magic analysis, and snapped himself out of it. He was on a mission, after all.

He knocked on the door, and it was soon answered by a man about his height, though it was hard to tell what his actual body looked like. The wizard wore a large suit similar to what Izuku had seen deep sea divers wear, complete with a tinted helmet that didn’t give even a semblance of what the man’s face looked like underneath. If he was being honest, it was a little intimidating. Then again what did he have to be afraid of? Izuku had faced the most fearsome wizard there was in the country and lived, what could this one do to him? 

“Hello, may I help you?” 

His voice was distorted by the helmet, but it was surprisingly friendly. Izuku sighed in relief. It occurred to him that maybe the diving suit was for specific terrain rescues that they did in the backyard. He couldn’t imagine the wizard wore such heavy equipment all the time, otherwise he wouldn't be able to rescue people with efficiency. Thirteen seemed like a kind man, maybe this wouldn’t be so difficult after all. Besides, if Thirteen were mean he would have heard in the letters. 

“Hi, my name is Izuku Midoriya and I’m here to see Uraraka, is she in? I’m her uncle,” he lied. 

“Oh, yes she did mention knowing someone by that name actually. You’re not what I pictured, but I am not one to judge. All are welcome here.” 

“T-thank you!” 

“I’m afraid Uraraka is busy with another guest right now, but you can feel free to wait inside,” he said, opening the door enough to let Izuku inside. “And feel free to try some of the scones I made. They’re fresh out of the oven!” 

“Yes please!”

This was more like the hospitality Uraraka had described. Izuku was so looking forward to eating some fresh scones, but before he could go inside he saw something run out. It was a large grey poodle who saw the open door and used the opportunity to make a break for it. 

“Oh no,” cried Thirteen. “Please stop her!” 

Thirteen was too weighed down with his equipment that he couldn’t run after the dog if he’s wanted to. That left frail and elderly Izuku to run after the dog by himself. The dog had a head start, but Izuku had always been a strategic planner. He was sure he could capture the dog with his wit, even if his body wasn’t the best for the job. 

He chased after if around garden beds and around large rose bushes. To his side there was a giant pond with a magical waterfall and a half submerged boat. That was probably what the diving suit was for. On the other side there was what looked like a mudslide. Thirteen certainly had interesting ideas of decoration. 

The dog was ahead of him, but he was closing the distance when suddenly the creature came to a stop by an apple orchard. Izuku didn’t hesitate to latch onto the creature in case it made another break for it. When he did he noticed the place they had stopped, and it made him stop breathing for a moment. 

The area was thick with trees, and it blocked out enough light that the ground here was all soft moss and grasses. There were small mushrooms growing here and there, and there was even the occasional wildflower. At this point in the year the apple blossoms were past and the trees were forming little green fruits that would be ripe and edible apple in amount a month or more. It was a beautiful sight, but that wasn’t what took his breath away. 

Instead, it was who he saw. Uraraka was standing in the orchard smiling happily. Her pink cheeks were flushed and she was laughing with her companion. It was like Thirteen had said. She had other company, but not just any. Standing to her side and smiling as well he saw Shouto Todoroki. 

His heart sank. They both seemed to be enjoying each other’s company quite a bit. They talked quite a bit, well Uraraka did most of the talking. Shouto smiled fondly at whatever she was talking about as she gestured wildly. He said something back, but Izuku couldn’t hear their exact words. If the two of them were together did that mean … no. It couldn’t be, could it? Was Uraraka the person that Shinsou said the wizard was courting? 

Izuku’s head swirled with a million questions. How did they meet? Didn’t Shouto say he was getting potion supplies? Did Shouto really have feelings for her, or would this relationship be over in a matter of weeks? If they did last, how would he manage to pretend to be happy for them? 

The way he saw it there were two possible futures. Either Shouto really loved her and she loved him back. They would be happy for a long time, and Izuku would have to watch along as his best friend fell for the man he so desperately wanted for himself. That, or Shouto would break her heart and he’d have to deal with the aftermath, straining his relationship with the both of them. 

He felt something drip down his cheek. Oh no, the tears were starting already. He blinked them away. It wasn’t the time or the place. Here he was spying on the man he loved and his best friend, it was wrong. He had to leave before they noticed him but … he couldn’t pry his eyes off the sight. 

Finally, the dog he was holding onto whined, and he remembered his obligation. He led her gently by the collar and towards the doorway they had come in. She didn’t want to leave, she wanted to approach his friends, but he wouldn’t let her. 

“You’ve caused enough trouble, thanks,” he whispered. 

The dog snorted defiantly at that comment. She didn’t seem to think it was trouble. In fact, she kept looking back towards the scene they had stumbled upon as if the two would be standing right behind them. 

“Thank you, Izuku!” 

Thirteen was thrilled when he came back to the house’s entrance with the dog in tow. 

“Oh, no problem,” Izuku said in his best normal tone of voice. He couldn’t let Thirteen know what he’d seen or how shaken up he was by it. He was sure Thirteen knew Uraraka had a suitor already. 

“But it was a big help! She keeps trying to run after Uraraka’s visitor, I don’t know why. Maybe she’s just being overprotective of her, or maybe she has something against that man. I’m not sure why.” 

“Well, Thirteen do you … know who it is that’s visiting her?” 

“Yes, it’s evidently the Wizard Todoroki. He’s trying to play it off that he’s not so Uraraka and I are pretending we haven’t noticed. He came in with some silly false name, but I saw right through it.” 

“What!? And you’re just letting them court even though you know who he is? But haven’t you heard his reputation?” 

“Yes, I’ve heard of it, but I’m fairly certain it’s all just rumors. I’m not worried. He seems harmless enough and I feel Uraraka could learn a lot of useful magical information from him. He is a better wizard than I am despite his young age. I don’t doubt that he could teach her twenty times more than I could, and with his guidance and her power and intellect she could become one of the greatest wizards of our time.” 

The man wasn’t wrong. Izuku had always considered Uraraka to be the most powerful magic user he knew personally. Maybe Bakugo bested her in raw strength and instinct, but him magic was tainted for the cruel ways he used it. Many people were worried that he would turn to dark magic sooner than later. Meanwhile, she kept her magic pure and used it to help others every chance she got. She’d been using it to protect him as long as they’d known each other, and it was something Izuku looked up to. 

Still, he couldn’t think of very many ways that this relationship between his friends would end well. Plus, his heart would break no matter what happened. 

“I … I see. Well, thank you very much for your hospitality, Thirteen.” 

“Are you leaving already? But you haven’t had a single scone and I’m sure Uraraka would be happy to see you. She referred to you fondly.” 

“No, I’m not hungry,” he had lost his appetite upon seeing Shouto looking at Uraraka with that fond look he’d grown so accustomed to seeing directed at himself. “Besides, I just remembered some things I was supposed to do at home.”

“Should I tell her you visited?” 

“No, it’s fine,” he said trying to sound composed. “I’ll visit some time when she’s free, I promise.” 

He did want to see Uraraka, but that would mean also seeing Todoroki and explaining how they knew each other. It would also mean seeing the two of them share those glances again, and Izuku wasn’t sure he could take it. 

He left the house and started to walk home as fast as he could, but he only made it a single block before tears streamed down his freckled cheeks. He kept walking, even though the hot tears were blurring his vision.He wiped his eyes, and chided himself on getting to hopeful about his crush on Shouto.

_‘I was so foolish to think he could love me,’_ Izuku thought to himself. What did he have going for him? Uraraka had always said he had pretty eyes, but even she had agreed with Bakugo that his features were rather plain. She didn’t mean it harmfully, it was just the truth. He was plain looking, talentless, and he wasn’t even young anymore. Of course Shouto wouldn’t be interested. _‘I was so stupid to fall in love with him.’_

・・・・・

Shouto Todoroki was never good at relationships. Maybe it was because he didn’t have a heart anymore. It was part of his deal with one certain fire demon, that his heart no longer belonged to himself. So he had looked for things to make him feel whole. He’d met some pretty girls and pretty guys and he’d soon realized that he wasn’t interested in them all the same way. He could appreciate women, but he was not interested in dating them. Of course, the women whose hearts he’d broken got put into the total of his heartbreaking record nonetheless. Because of this most people didn’t realized that he was gay, and whenever he went places with Yaoyorozu people assumed they were a couple. This made her quite embarrassed, and made him tired. He was annoyed, but didn’t feel like putting in the effort of hunting down every rumor and confronting it.

He saw no reason that others should need to know his romantic preference, and his relationships never lasted even when they were with people he was attracted to, so there was really no purpose. At least, he’d seen no purpose before. Then he met Izuku Midoriya and something was … different. He didn’t know what it was about the boy but he was so easy to talk to and kind. Here was this beautiful boy who seemed to blush or cry at everything and had a smile brighter than the sun, and he seemed to care about his well being? Izuku cared about him before he knew his true identity and he’d cared even after being cursed by his father. Shouto didn’t know why he cared, and was terrified that he would mess it up the way he did with his other relationships in the past. 

He sighed. 

He had told Izuku he was going out for supplies, but that wasn’t the whole truth. He really did need some things, but the truth was that he was gathering information. 

That first night that Izuku had arrived at the castle, he didn’t trust him at all. When the man was unconscious he had gone through his bag to look for spying devices and information he might be able to gather. He’d seen a page on him, but it was brief and uninteresting. Evidently Izuku had updated it the more he got to know Shouto. He’d found the notebook to be completely benign and then he felt bad for going through it all. Still, better safe than sorry. 

In this notebook he kept seeing mentions of Uraraka who was apparently Izuku’s best friend and she lived so close by that he’s had to investigate. He’d started off pretending he would court her, but she saw through that act far too soon. She asked him why he was really there, and he had told her that the Wizard of the Wastes had put a spell on Izuku, and he thought maybe knowing more about him could help him figure out how to break it. They’d only met a couple times, but over the past week she had realized that Shouto had feelings for her friend. He wasn’t subtle. Now they talked about that as well as how they might be able to break Izuku’s spell. 

Shouto couldn’t help but agree with Izuku’s notes on Uraraka. She was smart, capable, and willing to do so much for her friends. She had given him countless ideas on how the spell could be broken, and also she gave good relationship advice. She was in a real relationship, one that had gotten past the initial courtship routines that Shouto put people through until he got bored of them. She and her girlfriend were a much better example of what relationships should be like than anything Shouto had experienced for himself. 

That day he and Uraraka were on a walk in Thirteen’s expansive yard talking about Izuku. She would share old stories or pieces of information, and he would tell her of the things that had happened recently. At the moment she was talking about his childhood bully who Shouto informed her he had also met unfortunately. 

“Bakugo is utter trash and I would dropkick him in an instant if I didn’t think it would make Deku worry. Deku doesn’t like resorting to violence, and so he never hurt Bakugo even if he’d be right to do so. Luckily, I’ve always been around to protect him.” She paused and looked sad. “Thank you again for giving him that protection spell, you don’t know how glad I was to hear you mention that when we first met. I keep thinking about it. Really, I should have tried something like that sooner.”

“Protection spells are very difficult. If even one thing goes wrong they could have irreversible consequences.” He thought briefly of his own protection spell, that he wore the scar for every day. “The one I gave him is just a minor one, but given time I could probably make something stronger for him.” 

“Hmm, it’s worth consideration. But still, we should focus on keeping the Wizard of the Wastes away from him and breaking his curse for now.” 

He hadn’t told her that Endeavor was his father, only that Endeavor had cursed Izuku after they had first met. He didn’t know if Uraraka would still trust him if she knew. 

“Right,” he agreed absentmindedly. He’d been distracted all morning as his thoughts kept returning to the view he’d gotten on waking up. It was nice, he thought, to not wake up alone for once. 

“You seem distant, what are you thinking about?” 

Uraraka was too good at telling when he was thinking about her best friend. 

“Oh, um, nothing.” 

“Something happened didn’t it? Something good? Come on! Spill the beans!” 

“Well, last night Izuku had rearranged my hair potions and my hair ended up being orange- please stop laughing.” 

Uraraka was trying to hold in a chuckle imagining Todoroki with orange hair. She was not doing well to hide it, but she composed herself as she saw the exasperated look on the other wizard’s face. 

“I’m sorry, go on.” 

“Well, I freaked out and when my emotions get the better of me I lose control of my powers sometimes. Thankfully no one got hurt, but I made a mess and passed out. When I woke up, he’d put me in a hot bath and was by my side.” 

“Oh my god! Did he see … were you … you know?” 

“He kept his eyes above my stomach if that’s what you’re asking.” 

“So smooth, Deku,” she chortled. “And what happened next?” 

“I woke up and apologized, then I held his hand for a bit.” 

“Aww,” she cooed. 

“And when I got out of the bath and saw the mess I made I didn’t want him to have to sleep down there so I told him to take my bedroom instead. Only, he wouldn’t sleep there if I didn’t join him. He insisted that I stay or he wouldn’t sleep there.” 

“And did you?” 

“I didn’t have a choice in the matter.” 

“Oh hush, you’re smiling. You enjoyed sharing a bed with him, it’s sweet!” 

“I still feel bad about losing control of my magic. What if I had hurt him? I don’t … I don’t deserve him Uraraka.” 

“Todoroki, you don’t get it do you? Deku doesn’t have a lot of people who care about him the way you and I do. I’m so glad he found you, and even if you mess things up occasionally that’s alright. You’re bound to make mistakes in any relationship, what matters is what you do afterwards. You made a mistake, but you apologized and tried to make it right.” 

“I suppose.”

“Todoroki, you’re being too hard on yourself.” 

“Strange, that’s more or less what Izuku told me.” 

“You and Deku are both new to having _real_ relationships. He never dated anyone because he was too shy to confess his feelings for anyone, and you need to learn how to act in a lasting relationship. He’s more than just a crush, I can tell by how you talk about him. You really do love him, and I couldn’t be happier for the two of you.”

“I … never said I _loved_ him. It’s just that-” 

“Todoroki, you have to say it. You do love him. The things you say about him are just like how I used to talk about Tsuyu before we started dating, and you’ve spent your whole afternoon talking about how much you care about him. Just say the ‘L’ word and move past it.” 

He was perplexed. 

“It’s love, Todoroki,” she scolded. “You need to admit you’re in love with Deku.” 

“I … I’m …” 

“Take your time,” she assured. 

She smiled and Todoroki found himself smiling too thinking about how red Izuku’s face was when he’d held his hand. He remembered how Izuku looked sleeping that morning. Sometimes the veil lifted and Shouto could see his true form. His green hair was a mess, pointing in five different directions and had a sleepy smile on his lips. Shouto remembered how he’d felt seeing that first thing in the morning, and he couldn’t hide it anymore. 

“You’re right. I am ... in love with Izuku Midoriya. I didn’t expect to meet him, but since I did I’ve just felt … different? There’s something about him that just feels right when I’m around him, like there’s no where else I’m meant to be but by his side.”

She smiled wide, and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling back. When he’s come here, he didn’t expect to meet someone who loved Izuku as much as he did. Izuku was lucky to have friends like her. 

It was then that Shouto heard a rustling noise to their flank, and he tried to take notice without alerting whoever it was that he knew they were there. It probably wasn’t his father, but who was it then? He looked in the direction casually, and just in time to see Izuku turn away and guide a dog away from the scene. 

But why was he here? He looked over and Uraraka seemed just as perplexed. 

“Was that Deku?” 

“I … I think it was?” 

“But why would he be here?”

“I don’t know. I have a bad feeling about this. I should go after him.”

“Go get him, Todoroki,” she reassured. 

He waved goodbye to Izuku’s friend- no. He waved goodbye to his friend. He turned to leave, and couldn’t help but wonder what Izuku was doing there. He wondered what Izuku had seen, and more importantly what he’d heard. _‘Wait a minute,’_ had he heard the last part he’d said? _‘Did Izuku hear me say I love him?’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this wasn't too confusing, and I hope you all enjoyed it! Yes I did steal the chapter name from Patron Saint by Regina Spektor because I'm lazy and bad at titling things. I had hoped to get it out sooner, but having worked all weekend it was impossible to squeeze writing time in as well. I did manage to purchase this bad boy from one of the merch tables this weekend! I love my tiny plush son. 
> 
> https://hottopic.scene7.com/is/image/HotTopic/11358605_hi?$pdp_hero_zoom$


	8. We Used to Watch these Stars Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku returns to the castle and gets a well needed distraction from worrying about Shouto when Momo asks him for help with a particularly challenging spell she was assigned. She also brought back pastries from her date which Izuku is all too happy to accept.

Izuku had made it home despite his difficulties navigating while his eyes were full of tears. When he walked through the door he noticed Momo had returned, and there was a box of raspberry turnovers waiting for him on the table. He thought to himself that at least something good had happened since he’d left the house. With still watery eyes he took one of the pastries and started to eat it as he laid down on his bed. Usually eating in bed was something he found distasteful, since then the bed would be covered in crumbs, but he couldn’t care about that in this emotional state. 

He pulled the covers up over his shoulders, and in doing so he inadvertently knocked over the jacket he’d been wearing earlier. He’d left it on the bed as a reminder to mend it when he got back. Maybe fixing it up would distract him from thinking about Shouto. He scarfed down the rest of the pastry and went to fetch a needle and some thread from the closet. 

He brought his sleeve up to his face to dry his eyes. It was impossible to thread a needle without good vision. His hands absentmindedly sewed the jacket, but his they started to shake despite himself. 

“Calm down hands, it’s going to be alright,” he reassured them. It was stupid to be so upset about this, he was sure. He’d only known Shouto a short amount of time and to think he’s develop feelings for him so soon or even at all was just unrealistic. He sniffled and resumed sewing. 

“I guess he really is a heartbreaker then? You probably saw for yourself, “ he said to the jacket. “I bet you’ll help him catch the eye of every pretty girl and boy in town won’t you?” 

His own words saddened him. He had known deep down that there wasn’t really a chance of anything happening between him and Shouto, but he’d been so hopeful ever since their first meeting. It was as if something had sparked in him when they first met eyes. The man had been so smooth and charming as he rescued Izuku like a damsel in distress, literally sweeping him off of his feet. 

“Maybe I’m just as charmed by him as every other young boy and girl in Ingary,” he said dejectedly. 

He was distracted from his moping by a knock. Shinsou woke up from his nap to announce it was the Porthaven door. At least that meant it wouldn’t be someone Izuku knew, and he could just pretend to be a powerful wizard for a while and forget his problems momentarily. He got up to answer the door and on the other side there was a grumpy man. 

“You there, have you seen that apprentice? She was supposed to bring me my wind spell a half hour ago. If i miss my tide, I shall have a word about her with the sorcerer. I don’t have patience for laziness like this,” the man huffed. 

“Oh, I’ll fetch her right away,” Izuku said as he turned to call upstairs, only to find Momo already on her way down. She had a bottle in her hand. 

“Here you go, sir. Just open this bottle towards your sails and recite the words on the label and your ship will have plentiful wind.” 

“Hmm, I suppose that will do. Here’s your payment,” he said putting a few copper pieces in her hand. 

Izuku noted that Shouto seemed to charge the people in Porthaven far less than he charged people in Kingsbury. The two towns were vastly different in economy. Porthaven was largely poor fishermen and others whose lifestyles depended on the whims of the tide. Meanwhile Kingsbury was the richest of the rich. It made sense that Shouto would give the people in Porthaven a break financially. 

“I’m glad that’s over,” Izuku muttered. “He seems like an grouchy man!” 

“He is, I’d almost forgotten about his potion until I got back from my date with Jirou.” 

“Oh, so your mystery crush has a name?” 

“Y-yes. I went to see her at a performance of hers after work today.” 

“Oh! That’s wonderful!” 

“Mhm. She plays guitar with her father in a local tavern, so after her shift ended we went there. I … met her father! I was so intimidated at first!” 

“Wow, what did you do?” 

“Well, I tried my best to be polite and he initially started to intimidate me, but she scolded him and asked him to cut it out. It turns out he was impressed with all that Jurou had told him about me, and he’s happy his daughter found someone she likes. We didn’t really talk about labels before, but she introduced me to him as her girlfriend and so we’re officially dating now!” 

There was a small smile on Momo’s face and she was clearly happier than he’d ever seen her before. She clutched a hand to her chest. Izuku was happy for them both, and it gave him something to think about other than Shouto. 

“That’s really wonderful, I’m so happy for the two of you! Oh, and thanks for the turnovers.” 

“Thank you, and it was no problem,” she said turning her attention to the potions workbench. She picked up a piece of paper and studied it intently. She probably had more spells to make for customers, so Izuku figured he would leave her to it and get back to his own work. 

Izuku busied himself with sewing the jacket again, only this time he muttered quieter so Momo and Shinsou wouldn’t hear it. He got two more tears patched up before he was distracted by curses coming from the workbench. Of course, they weren’t real curses. They were things like ‘fiddlesticks’ or ‘shucks!’ Evidently someone didn’t like to swear. 

“Momo are you alright?” 

“Sorry for my language,” she said. “I’m just having difficulty with this spell Todoroki has me working on.” 

“Oh, that sounds frustrating. I know I don’t have magic of my own, but I do know a lot about it from studying. Maybe I can help?” 

“Of course! Izuku, I trust you. Even if you can’t do magic you’re still very capable in understanding it.” 

“Alright, so what are we dealing with here?” 

She presented him with a piece of paper that had a poem written on it. This sort of thing wasn’t Izuku’s area of expertise, but he was determined to help her out. Plus, he was so busy with this that he’d forgotten all about Shouto and Uraraka. 

He read the poem aloud, and it went like this. 

“Go and catch a falling star,  
Get with child a mandrake root,  
Tell me where all past years are,  
Or who cleft the Devil’s foot.  
Teach me to hear the mermaids singing,  
And find  
What wind  
Serves to advance an honest mind” 

Izuku could see that there was supposed to be a second verse, but it had been washed out by some liquid. Maybe it had gotten ruined by the slime the other night. Either way, that just meant more work for them. 

“Shouto left this on the pile of spells that he wanted me to study. He hasn’t said a word about it, so I don’t know what that means and I’m hoping that I can figure it out without needing his guidance.”

“That is certainly cryptic, you’re right,” Izuku noted. 

“It’s hard to tell what parts of spells are literal and what parts are metaphors trying to trick you. The first part must be metaphorical, but I’ve tried everything I can think of, but now I’m stuck because none of them have worked.” 

“I’m not surprised, it’s like a list of impossible things!” 

“The spell is supposed to reveal itself to you more after you’ve completed the first tasks. So if we can complete the first few tasks we should understand it more. By the end of the first verse we should be able to understand what the second one must say.” 

“So the first step is to catch a falling star, then.” 

“Yes, so it would seem.” 

“Maybe we can ask Shinsou,” he said. He started to turn to the fire demon, but was stopped by a hand on his arm. 

“No, we can’t tell him. I think he’s part of the spell. It says ‘tell me’ and ‘teach me.’ Initially I thought that was more trickery, but now I think it must be something I have to teach Shinsou. “

“What if it’s not a metaphor, Momo. Have you tried to actually catch a falling star?” 

Falling stars were very common, and Izuku remembered watching them with Iida and Uraraka when they were younger. They would gather late at night on the deck of the hatshop or the roof of Uraraka’s parents house and they would watch the sky as bright lights rained down to the planet’s surface with a peaceful elegance.

“I didn’t think it would be so obvious, but how would we even catch one? They’re too fast unless … ” 

She stopped talking and went over to the the closet, where she pulled out a pair of boots with a flourish. She held them out for Izuku to see. They were awkward looking and Izuku had never seen shoes quite as odd. 

“Boots?” 

“They’re called seven league boots, Izuku. Shouto made them at request from his majesty for the royal army. These were a prototype that we tossed into the closet when we were done. I forgot they were back here.” 

“So they take you seven leagues per step? But that’s twenty one mies! We’d outrun the stars in a heartbeat!” 

“No, every two steps takes you that far, they’re pairs of boots. A single step only takes you ten and a half miles. It’s still a bit excessive, but it will allow us to catch a falling star easily!” 

“Now the closest spot to catch falling stars is probably going to be the hills of the wastes but the Porthaven marshes are flatter so we’d better head there. If we leave now we should get there in time for nightfall and catch a star or two.” 

They carried the boots out to the doorstep of Porthaven and each put a large clunky boot on a foot. They linked arms and stood on their feet that bore normal shoes, raising the seven leagued ones. Momo counted down from three. On the final count they dropped their feet in unison, and found they had been propelled ten and a half miles closer to Porthaven Marsh. They reached the marsh in no time, but soon realized the mistake in their plan. 

“I forgot, August is probably the best time to look for shooting stars. It’s only June, so we might not find any stars tonight,” Izuku noted sadly. 

The two waited for over an hour, vigilantly watching the skies for any sign of a star approaching. Momo sighed in defeat. 

“Izuku, you should go home. At your age it can’t be good to be out in this cold, and it’s my spell so I should be the one out here working for it, not you. You don’t have to suffer for my sake.” 

He would never stop suffering to make life a little easier on others, and he might have even said so too if it weren’t for the fact a star chose that moment to fall. It soared down the sky, seeming to chase the last instances of sunlight that were tucking themselves behind the horizon. 

“There’s one! We need to run after it!” 

Momo ran after it with determination. She wanted to prove herself as a wizard and show Shouto that she could do powerful spells like this one. To her this wasn’t just a spell, it was a test that she had to pass or else it would be a personal failure. He ran after her, trying to catch up. 

“You can do it, Momo,” he shouted after her. She was too far away to hear. He forced the walking stick in his hand along trying to hurry. “Come on, stick. We need to catch up to her!” 

In the distance he saw Momo’s hands outstretched, level with the star. She was surrounded in the silver light of the being’s stardust as it flew along, waiting to crash into the ground. 

“Please, I’m not trying to hurt you,” Momo called out to it. 

“Then what are you after? Leave me be,” the star commanded. 

“I can’t I need to catch you, I promise nothing bad will happen I’ll take care of you,” Momo pleaded. 

“No, you can’t catch me,” it insisted. “I’m not meant to be caught, I’m supposed to die.” 

The star was slowing down, and its light was fading as it got ever closer to the ground beneath it. Momo had tears in her eyes, as she chased after it desperately. She tried to stretch out her hands even further, hoping they might reach in time.

“Please, I can save you if you’ll only let me catch you!” 

“It’s not right! I won’t do it!” 

The star was getting closer to its crash every moment, and instead of waiting for the impact any longer and risking being caught, the star dove into a pool of water. Momo dove after it, her hand almost grazing it, but being a millisecond too slow. There was a fading silver light in the pool as the star extinguished itself into nothingness. 

Izuku caught up to Momo, who was kneeling on the ground. The front of her dress was covered in dirt and mud, and her eyes were tearful. She sobbed, and looked into the puddle with horror. 

“I … I couldn’t do it. I was too slow and the star died because of me.” 

“No, Momo. It didn’t want to be caught. You did everything in your power to save it, but it’s hard to save someone who doesn’t want saving.” 

He knelt down next to her and pulled her into a hug. She sobbed into his shoulder for a few minutes as they mourned the star’s life. Izuku couldn't help but wonder why the creature didn’t want to be caught. The only other option was death, so what was so bad about being saved? His own face was covered in tears just like Momo’s at this point. Izuku knew they weren’t just mourning the loss of a creature they didn’t know, but it had damaged Momo’s confidence in her own abilities as well. No one could have saved the star, but Momo took it as a personal failure that she couldn’t do it. 

“Come on, we should head home, Momo. I’ll make us some tea and we can eat some of Jirou’s pastries.” 

He rubbed her back with gentle reassurance, and her sobs came to a an end slowly. She sniffled, and wiped her eyes with the sides of her hands that didn’t have mud on them. Her face was covered in mud anyways, but she had bigger worries so Izuku didn’t bother to point it out. 

“You’re right. Let’s get back, I’m getting sick of this spell.” 

They headed back in silence, neither one wanting to bring up the tragedy they’d witnessed. Izuku decided he needed an entry about stars in his notebook. Before he had assumed they were just objects guided by destiny, or gravity, or magic. He never thought that they might be living creatures like the one he’d seem that night. Why had he never heard of this? All these thoughts swirled in his head as his hand reached for the door handle, but he was stopped by a quiet voice behind him. 

“Thank you for your help with this. I failed, but your idea was much better than the ones I had come up with an I probably would never have made heads or tails of it without your guidance. I should have just asked Todoroki for help, I shouldn’t have put you through that.” 

“Momo, I don’t mind helping. Besides, I know being able to do things without needing to ask Shouto for help is important to you. You’re trying to establish yourself.” 

“But what’s the point in trying to be independent if I’m still dependant? I wasn’t able to do it on my own, so I relied on your help instead.” 

“There’s nothing shameful in needing other people’s help.” 

“But Todoroki gave me this spell, and I should have been able to do it on my own.” 

“You’re still learning, Momo. Learning is a process that doesn’t stop, even with the end of your apprenticeship. And other people aren’t here to judge you for failing, we’re here to help you get back on your feet and try again. Maybe some other day you will catch a star, but for now we should both rest and we can ask Shouto for help on it in the morning before we try any more reckless stunts.”

Momo looked at him, surprised. Izuku didn’t know why she was so insecure, when she was such an amazing person. He could see it, Shouto must have seen it to have taken her in, Jirou saw it, and he was sure there were others who knew it as well. 

“I suppose you’re right,” she said quietly. “I just feel like a burden. He has other problems in his life, even if he won’t tell me much about them. He should be allowed to focus on that without my interference.” 

“Momo, I know for a fact he trusts you. He told me so himself. You’re not a burden to him and just because you don’t have the same magical skills doesn’t mean you’re not equals. He’s your teacher, and there are things he can do that you can’t, but the opposite is also true.” 

“He trusts me?” 

“Yes.”

“That … really does make me feel better Izuku. I won’t let him down, and if asking for help now and then will allow me to do better than I need to learn to not be so afraid of it.” 

Izuku nodded. There was determination in her eyes again, but this time the desperation that had accompanied it was replaced with confidence. Izuku was glad they had this talk. It seemed like the start of her feeling better about herself. It was progress. 

 

・・・・・

 

When Izuku got inside, he greeted Shinsou and asked if Shouto was home yet. Apparently he had come in a couple hours ago, and had gone right to bed. Izuku thought it was strange for someone to just go to sleep after a date, but he supposed the wizard tended to act strange so it wasn’t out of the question. Maybe the hours of sleep he’d missed that morning had caught up to him. 

Still, he felt the need to check on him anyways. He walked up the stairs and quietly opened the door to see if he was truly asleep. He peered in and saw Shouto wrapped up in blankets with his hair a mess of red and white overlapping as he hugged a pillow close to his chest. It was awfully cute, Izuku thought. He murmured in his sleep, and Izuku hoped he was simply disturbed by the light from the hallway and not having a bad dream. 

He almost wished he had an excuse to go in and join him in bed so he could hug him in his sleep and remind him everything would be fine, that it was just a dream and nothing would hurt him. Then again, he remembered that the man was in a relationship. He felt bad about making him share a bed with him the night prior. Even if it had felt nice, it was probably strange for Shouto to share a bed with another man while he was dating someone else. 

He closed the door, and went back downstairs, where he offered to make tea for Momo, but she decided it was too late at night and she would rather sleep. Izuku swore he would finish mending the suit and then go to sleep in his own bed as well, but as he picked up the needle and thread and started to sew until his heavy eyelids dropped and he fell asleep in a chair using the jacket as a pillow. 

・・・・・

Shouto woke up in the middle of the night. This always happened when he slept too early. He would wake up really early and then be unable to go back to sleep. He realized he’d been hugging his pillow and pretending it was Izuku.He sat up, releasing the pillow from his grip and placing his fee to the side of his bed. 

He went downstairs to grab a glass of water and maybe finish the spell for the king, but upon making it to the stair’s ending he noticed something out of place. Izuku wasn’t in his bed. Instead he was sleeping in a stiff wooden chair and clutching at the jacket he’d been mending that morning. Shouto approached quietly so he wouldn’t wake him up. He carefully tugged the jacket from the sleeping boy’s grip and set it aside so he could finish it later if he wanted. Then, he slipped an arm underneath his legs and another under his arms. He lifted him carefully, hoping that Izuku was a heavy sleeper. 

Evidently, he wasn’t. While Shouto held him, he felt the man lean into the touch. Half consciously he snuggled closer and his hand gripped the shirt he was wearing. He was certainly not awake, only vaguely aware of what was happening. 

Shouto gently lowered him onto the bed underneath the stairs, and tucked the covers over him. Izuku stirred, and so he sat on the bed with him for a moment stroking his hair. 

“Go back to sleep, Izuku. It’s alright,” he whispered. 

When he thought the other man was sufficiently unconscious again he started to get up and leave, only to be stopped by an outstretched hand that reached out for him. 

“Wait,” the man under the covers muttered sleepily. 

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Thank you,” he said smiling into his pillow. 

“Of course,” he assured. What was he thanking him for? Carrying him to bed? He hesitated for a moment, debating the ups and downs of his next move, before he finally decided to go for it. He brushed Izuku’s bangs aside, and on the exposed skin of his forehead he placed a gentle kiss. 

He pulled back afraid of what reaction Izuku might have, but he was greeted by a gentle snoring. He had no clue how Izuku had fallen back to sleep in the time that he was debating kissing his forehead or not, but he was a little grateful that he was. He should go work on the king’s request so he could deliver it later, but before he went to do that he paused and admired Izuku sleeping for a little longer. He stood in the doorframe watching his breath rise and fall peacefully before he eventually turned and walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Thanks everyone for all the kind words on the last chapter! I'm glad it seems to be going well so far! 
> 
> Stay tuned for next chapter, where Shouto finds out they tried to catch a falling star, and Izuku has to visit the royal palace!


	9. An Outfit Entirely Your Own

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouto finds out about their star catching adventure the previous night, and he and Izuku plan a trip to the palace so they can badmouth him to the King. What could go wrong?

Izuku had sworn as he drifted off to sleep that he felt soft lips gently press against his forehead. A hand brushed his hair gently and cupped the side of his face as he slowly lost consciousness and faded back into dreams. Was it a dream? When he woke up the next morning he assumed it had to have been, because Shouto wouldn’t kiss him while he was dating Uraraka. 

Then again, he distinctly remembered falling asleep in the chair across the room so unless he had started to sleepwalk, that meant that Shouto really had carried him to bed at some point. His heart fluttered thinking about being held by those strong arms. _‘How sweet of him._

Just then the door opened revealing the wizard himself.. 

_‘Speak of the devil.’_

He stepped into the house looking frazzled. He was well dressed and had a coin purse attached to his hip. His face didn’t show any signs of bags or dark circles beneath his eyes, but with all the magical effects that the wizard put on himself he doubted they would show. Instead his tiredness was evident through his posture and just a gut feeling that Izuku had. 

“Good morning, Shouto,” Izuku greeted him with a yawn. 

“Oh, so you are up,” he noted. “Good morning Izuku.”

“Where are you getting back from dressed so nicely?”

“I was actually just visiting the palace to drop off a spell. The king graciously accepted and paid me extra actually. Apparently those boots that I made for his army last time worked so well he felt the need to say thank you.”

“Oh. But that’s all good news isn’t it? Why do you look upset?” 

“It might seem good, but it’s really just his way of trying to keep me on as his own personal court wizard. Ever since All Might went missing he’s been relying on me more and more. He’s clearly trying to get me to fill the man’s shoes at least momentarily. Actually, to make matters worse he’s asked me to find out what happened to All Might.”

Izuku remembered what Endeavor had said about personally seeing to it that All Might was out of the picture. How much did the King and Shouto know about the situation? Izuku wondered if anyone else was aware that the Wizard of the Wastes was responsible for their hero’s disappearance. It wasn’t like he could tell anyone. Suddenly he got an idea. 

“Do you know who is responsible for All Might’s disappearance.” 

Shouto had never said there was anyone responsible for All Might going missing, just that he’d vanished. In fact, most people didn’t have the details of the man’s disappearance. Some people assumed the king had sent him on a top secret mission, while others thought he might be dead. Either way, no one was suggesting kidnapping theories since the man was so powerful it was hard to imagine how he could be captured or contained. Thus, this phrasing clearly caught Shouto’s attention. 

He seemed to consider all this, plus the fact that Izuku wasn’t elaborating on the subject, and who would want to take All Might out of the picture aside from petty criminals who the man had stopped. 

“I am … starting to have a hunch.” 

Izuku nodded. 

Endeavor was after Shouto, and surely he’d figured out that King Nedzu would call on him in All Might’s absence. If Shouto went out to look for All Might, surely his father would use it as a trap to capture him. He couldn’t let that happen, as much as he wanted to rescue All Might. 

“Shouto, you can’t go out and look for him. It’s not safe, what if-” 

“It’s alright. I’ve realized that. I worry that my father is getting closer and closer to me each day. It’s not just me worrying, I can sense something impending and I ... don’t like it.” 

He looked nervous. No, that wasn’t nervousness. He could see it in his eyes, Shouto was afraid. He couldn’t blame him. His father was terrifying, and who knows what he was planning. Izuku was going to comfort him, when there was a creaking noise on the steps and Momo came down the stairs. 

She read the atmosphere in the room, and froze seeing the somber looks on the faces of the two men. 

“Sorry, am I interrupting something?” 

“No,” insisted Shouto. “What’s on your mind?” 

“Well, I was hoping to talk to you about the spell you left me.” 

“Oh, right,” Izuku noted. He’d forgotten about the spell for a moment. 

“The wind spell? What about it?”

“No, the other one. Izuku and I tried to complete the spell but I’m afraid it’s just too advanced for me. We even tried to catch a real falling star, but I wasn’t fast enough to save it.” 

Shouto looked shocked.

“You … tried to catch a star? But why?”

“It’s the first verse of the spell you left me, remember?” 

“I would never do such a thing. Let me see this spell.” 

Momo held out the piece of paper that had the words written on it. Shouto took it and looked at it grimly. He recognized it, but evidently he didn’t recall it fondly. 

“Momo,” he said. “This isn’t a spell I ever want you do perform. I don’t know how it got here, but please never try it again.” 

“But why? What is it?” 

“This is dark magic, and powerful dark magic at that.”

“When we were trying to catch the star,” Momo recalled, “It told me that it was destined to die. Even when I begged it to let me catch and preserve it, the creature refused. It was sad.” 

“It may seem like that, but it would have been even sadder if you had caught it,” Shouto assured her. “Some forces like that aren’t meant to be meddled with. They’re dangerous and it’s fortunate that the star escaped your grasp. We’re lucky neither of you got hurt.” 

Shinsou looked upset at this. He looked pointedly towards Shouto. 

“And what’s all the fuss about catching a star? It’s not like you haven’t done it yourself.”

“Yes, but-” Shouto stopped mid sentence and started to collect himself. Izuku realized the wizard needed to keep his emotions under wraps or else he might start forming slime again. “Just promise me neither of you will try and catch a falling star again.”

“S-sure,” Izuku assured. 

“Alright,” Momo agreed. 

“This spell is grave news. I’m afraid it’s a sign that Endeavor is getting closer.” 

“Oh no,” whispered Momo. 

Izuku felt a chill run down his spine. Shouto’s tone was controlled, but he knew there was also fear behind it. He was terrified, but from the way he looked Izuku could tell that the wizard wasn’t giving up. He had a plan. 

“Izuku.” 

“Y-yes?” 

“I’m going to need you to blacken my name to the king. If Endeavor is close, I can’t be running from both him _and_ Kind Nedzu at the same time.” 

“But how will I blacken your name? I don’t know the king and -” 

“Well, I can’t introduce you as who you really are because that wouldn’t mean anything to the king sadly, but what if I introduced you and pretended you were my father.” 

“You would have me pretend to be Endea-”

“No, the King doesn’t know I’m related to Endeavor. Only the people in this room and a handful of others know about that secret. I’d have you pose as a fatherly figure, since you look old enough to have a child or even grandchildren, and claim that I’m your lazy son who is too much of a coward to do the job.” 

“I suppose that could work, but aren’t you afraid of what Endeavor might do if he hears rumors of you having a father who isn’t him?” 

“You’re right, Izuku. Perish the thought of hurting my dear old dad’s feelings,” said Shouto in a deadpan tone. It took a moment for Izuku to register it as a joke. 

“Shouto, you’re being sarcastic!” 

Izuku smiled. He could do this. If Shouto could find the humor in a situation like this then he could manage as well. 

“I’m being completely serious,” Shouto insisted, but he cracked the tiniest smile. “It would just be horrible.” 

“I don’t buy it, but I’ll help you anyways.” 

“Perfect. We will head over tomorrow. I’ll bring you to the castle and tell them you are my father, but it’s your job from there on out to convince his majesty of my wicked unreliable ways.” 

“You can count on me, Shouto.” 

 

・・・・・

 

They spent that evening preparing for the trip to the palace. Shouto told Izuku all of the details of the king’s requests in the past and gave him all sorts of ideas of nasty things to say about him. Some of them were minor, or even true, but most of them were outlandish accusations about how much of a coward he was and how he couldn’t be counted on for any real important matters. 

“There, now you try,” Shouto insisted. 

“Do I really have to insult you to your face? I feel bad,” Izuku said lowering his eyes from the wizard. 

“Yes, now go on. It’s not like I haven’t heard worse.” 

“That doesn’t make it any easier, Shouto, but alright.” He took a breath. “Your highness my son refuses to search for All Might for you. He is a cowardly man who is afraid of running into the Wizard of the Wastes and would rather run away and save himself than try and save others. As a parent I feel it is my fault, I should have raised him better, but he is set in his ways and those ways are highly unreliable.” 

“Perfect,” commented Shouto who gave him a thumbs up. 

They were in Shouto’s room going through the clothing he had to see if there was anything presentable that Izuku could borrow. Every jacket that Shouto presented seemed to fit him awkwardly, and the pants he tried on here all too long. They both agreed that he couldn’t pass as Shouto’s father if he was dressed in baggy clothing and hand me downs. 

“That’s it,” Shouto announced. “There’s nothing here for you. We’re going shopping.” 

“What? Can’t you just change the dimensions of one of your outfits to fit me better?” 

“It still wouldn’t look like something you would wear, Izuku. You have to look the part if you’re going to convince King Nedzu.” 

Izuku wasn’t entirely convinced of Shouto’s motives in the castle, and he still doubted them when the pair were out in Kingsbury looking around stores. Shouto was looking in windows of different clothing stores and boutiques with Izuku in tow. The stores here all seemed overpriced to Izuku, but he had grown up running a hat shop just barely scraping by. It was a different world. 

Shouto took his hand, and started to lead him down the street and through an empty park. He was glad the wizard didn’t see him blush at the initial contact. He had to remind himself that Shouto was being so casual about holding hands because he probably didn’t see it as romantic. He had a girlfriend after all, and he doubted Shouto was the type to cheat. He was flirtatious and had a streak of broken hearts if the rumors were true, but he was careful never to overlap them. 

“There’s a nice shop on the other side of this park. Yaoyorozu showed it to me shortly after we first met, I think we should be able to find something you’ll like here.” 

“Did Momo show you all these shops?” 

“Sort of. She’s from Kingsbury so she was my introduction to most of the city. I first met her when I was thirteen and had just come to the city. You may have noticed that the castle’s door here isn’t really a house, right? It’s a disused stable actually. When I first came here I didn’t have a lot of money so paying rent here was out of the question. I was staying there and I would make spells for the rich people to get by. It wasn’t a bad setup, but it all changed when I met her.” 

“I didn’t realize you’d know each other that long.”

“Yes. She was probably the first friend I ever made. She was initially marveled by my magical power and asked me to take her in as an apprentice, but then she realized I was living in a barn and she was horrified. She let me stay with her and her folks for a while while I got back on my feet. I left for a while, met Shinsou, and we made up the castle. By then I was fourteen and I came back to see her and I told her I would train her as an apprentice to say thank you.” 

“Wow, I never knew.” 

“How could you have know? I’m not a very open person most of the time. There’s still a lot that even she doesn’t know about my past. She knows Endeavor is my father, and that I’ve been running away from him for some time. I never explained to her how I met Shinsou, or gave her any details about my childhood, or told her how I got my scar. She was … understanding. She recognized it was hard to talk about and so she didn’t make me talk. 

Shouto paused, realizing he’d been going on for a while. 

“I guess I got carried away there,” he noted. “Anyways, she took me here to buy me some nice clothing because she was sick of me wearing the same three shirts and two pants. She said I needed more outfits and I found shopping with her to be pretty fun.” 

He had a soft smile on his face, the one that Izuku had become so fond of. It was his favorite look on the wizard. With all he’d gone through it was easy to forget how young Shouto really was sometimes. That smile made him look his age for a short moment. 

The reached the end of the park, and Shouto guided Izuku through the streets and to the shop he’d mentioned. It was a boutique that mostly had secondhand clothing, but also had some antiques and old books. Izuku had to admit it was actually quite lovely. He wanted to look at the old books, but Shouto made him look at the clothing first. 

“We’re here on a mission, we can look at books afterwards.” 

Izuku whined, but complied. He started going through the racks of clothes, but was largely uninterested. He’d always had plain taste in clothing so he didn’t think he’d pick out anything that looked wizardly. To his side Shouto pulled out a jacket and dress shirt from the shelf and handed them to Izuku. 

“Try these on.” 

Izuku took them and headed for the small dressing room in the back of the store, while Shouto followed behind eager to see how the outfit looked. The dressing room was simply a curtained off area that people could change in. The store wasn’t big enough to have a separate room for changing, but there was an attendant waiting nearby who would put away the clothing that was unwanted. _‘How fancy.’_

The attendant let him in, and Shouto waited on the other side while Izuku stripped off his pale blue shirt and changed into what Shouto had picked out. It … actually looked really nice. The shirt was white and had a tuxedo collar, where the jacket was a light green color that paired very nicely with his eyes. Izuku couldn’t help but imagine it would look nicer if his hair were still green as well. 

He opened up the curtain to let Shouto see. The wizard turned to face him and clearly he agreed with Izuku on how nice it looked. His face flushed and his mouth was slightly open, as if he wanted to say something but lacked the proper words to say. He stared for a good minute before saying anything.

“You … look good.” 

A few days prior Izuku would have died to hear that compliment, but he knew that Shouto meant it platonically. It didn’t stop his heart from fluttering and his face blushing, but it didn’t bring the same happiness it would have before. _‘He’s being nice, it doesn’t mean anything more,’_ he reminded himself. 

“Thanks,” Izuku said. He felt so nervous under the wizard’s gaze. It was nothing like the look he’d given him that first day. There was no malice in this look, there was something else but Izuku wasn’t sure quite what exactly. 

“I should, um, go find some pants that match. Can you take off the jacket and hand it to me? I’ll be right back.” 

Izuku handed it over and watched Shouto walk across the store. While he waited, the attendant came up to him. 

“My, what a nice outfit. Are you two going somewhere special?” 

Izuku turned to look at the man. There was something strange about him. His hair was messy, like Bakugo’s had been, but it was dark, almost black. There was something about his face that made Izuku suspect he used similar cosmetics to the ones that Shouto liked, but he had dark circles underneath his eyes and a four o’ clock shadow around his jaw. He wondered what it was the cosmetics were hiding, if they didn’t even cover his stubble or sleepless eyes. Then realized that was rude a rude thing to think. After all, this man was giving him a compliment, why was he so suspicious of him? 

“Oh, not really,” he wouldn’t admit they were going to the palace. “He just wanted to help me dress nicer. I guess I have sort of boring fashion taste.” 

“That makes sense. I saw you admiring the books while he was picking out outfits. I actually just got in a new shipment of rare poem anthologies. I think you’d like this one,” said the man holding out a small hardcover book. 

Izuku inspected the book in the man’s hand. It was red and there was a little tassel bookmark sticking out of it. He was about to reach for it, when the man casually pulled his hand away. 

“Oh, your … friend is back. You should probably try on those pants, right? I’ll leave the book over here for you to check out afterwards.” 

“Um, sure. Thank you for your help uh …” 

“The name is Dabi,” he said. 

“Right.” 

There was certainly something off about this man, but he would be there to talk to again after he tried on the pants Shouto was approaching with. The attendant stepped aside and continued to put books on the shelf next to him. Shouto came over and presented Izuku with two pair of pants. 

“I’m not sure which of these will look better, so you’ll have to try on both and we’ll see works.” 

“Sure, will do.” 

Dabi shot Izuku a knowing glance over Shouto’s shoulder. It made him shiver. He wasn’t entirely sure what the man was implying, but he didn’t like it. He hurried into the changing booth and tried on the pants. He didn’t want to leave Shouto alone with the strange man for long.

When Izuku came out of the dressing area he noticed the attendant was gone. 

“Where did Dabi go?” 

“Who?” 

“The man who was standing here before. He was giving me book recommendations while you were fetching me different pants.”

The smile disappeared from Shouto’s face. 

“What sort of things did he say?” 

“Well, there was a book he wanted me to read. I’m not sure why. He left it on the shelf over-” 

Shouto picked up the book and inspected it. He checked for listening devices and scrying spells inside, and when he saw none he decided to check the bookmarked page. As he started to read all the color drained from his face and he gasped. 

“Shouto! Are you alright?”

Instead of speaking, the wizard simply showed him the page in question. It had the spell that Momo had attempted the night before, only this book had the final verse as well. 

“If thou beest born to strange sights,  
Things invisible to see,  
Run two thousand days and nights  
Til age shows white hairs on thee  
Thou, when thou returnest, wilt tell me  
All strange wonders that befell thee,  
And swear  
No where  
Lived a person true and fair.” 

Izuku joined Shouto in horrified shock. He knew there was something off about that man! He wasn’t Endeavor certainly, but maybe he worked for him? Did the Wizard of the Waste have henchmen? Maybe he was more of an accomplice. Either way, he knew what he was doing. 

“Shouto, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize-” 

“No, you couldn’t have known what he was trying to show you. I shouldn’t have left you alone with him. He must have been working for my father, what if he’d tried to hurt you?” 

“I’m fine, but what does this poem mean?” 

“I … I will tell you when we’re back at the castle. It’s not safe to discuss here.” 

They bought the outfit that Izuku tried on, and the two hurried home. Shouto held Izuku’s hand the whole way home for ‘safety reasons.’ He gripped it tight, like he was afraid of losing it if he wasn’t vigilant. He didn’t want to risk Endeavor trying something else. 

 

・・・・・

 

Shouto hurried Izuku in the front door, and made sure to lock it behind them. He sighed deeply, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in. That was a tense walk back home. 

“Shinsou, keep an eye on the Kingsbury door,” he warned. “Father has caught up to me.” 

“I know,” the demon said grimly. “I felt it take.” 

“It’s even more important now to blacken my name to King Nedzu,” he told Izuku. 

“O-okay, are you sure?” 

But Shouto was already moving on from that train of thought. 

“Momo,” he called upstairs. “We need to start looking for new locations. We’re definitely not safe here.”

“Shouto,” Izuku called. “Wait, you never told me what the book meant.” 

“You remember how I told you my mother freed me from the spells my father tried to put on me, right?” 

“Yes.” 

“Well he’s been trying to curse me again since then, and it appears he’s just succeeded.”

“Oh god.” 

“But the thing about the curse was that it was specific. It said I had to return to him, but only after so many things happened. The part about running for two thousand days probably refers to how long I’ve been away from him. I’ve been away from him since I was twelve, almost thirteen, so two thousand days is either up already or will be soon enough. That’s something we can’t change. Still, I can just avoid mermaids and mandrake roots and … well … I’ll think of something.”

He was trying his best to stay rational and not fall apart but … the thought of his father finding him was something he’d had to live with for years. He would go days or weeks at a time managing to forget about Endeavor, but then something would bring him up again - be it an evil deed the man did or a strange rumor about him - and Shouto would be reminded of him once more. He thought that by moving away he could start a new life, but clearly that had only prolonged the inevitable. 

_Deep breaths, Shouto,’_ he reminded himself. He slowed the pace of his breath and then inhaled as much air as his lungs would allow. When he couldn’t breathe anymore in he let it all out slowly through his mouth. _‘This is what Yaoyorozu told me to do, right?’_ There was something else she’d said about a number pattern, but he was too gone to remember the precise numbers. There was a four in it? And a seven?

“Shouto,” he heard someone say. 

It was Izuku. He was standing by his side. As much as Shouto loved his hugs, he was glad that Izuku had yet to touch him. When things got this bad he couldn’t handle touching. There were too many sensations going on all at once. He cautiously stepped back, and crossed his arms around his chest. Izuku would understand, he hoped. 

“I … I need a minute.” 

“That’s fine,” Izuku assured. “Take all the time you need.” 

Izuku pulled out a chair for Shouto to sit in, and went to grab a glass and fill it with cold water for him to drink. He motioned for him to sit, and handed him the glass. Shouto sat and took a long swig of the cold liquid. It did help to calm him down a little. The cold sensation grounded him a little. 

Momo rushed down the stairs. She saw him in his panic, and composed herself. She knew if she panicked too it would only make him worse. She joined Izuku, and he took her aside to fill her in on what she had missed. She covered her mouth in shock as he retold how the attendant’s book had the same text as the mysterious spell page they’d found. 

“I’ll look into new locations we can try right away, Todoroki,” she said to him before heading back upstairs to research. 

Shinsou watched on, and Izuku stood to his side waiting to see if there was anything else he could do to help. He was thankful that Izuku was here to comfort him. He’d gotten used to suffering through panic attacks on his own, and he usually felt ashamed to let others see him like this, but somehow he didn’t feel as bad when it was Izuku. He knew the man wasn’t judgemental, and he’d seen him cry a million times in the brief period they’d known each other. 

“Izuku,” he whispered. 

“Yes?” The man jumped eagerly at the opportunity to help. 

“Thank you for being here for me. I’m not used to other people being around when I’m like this, but it’s actually nice having you here.” 

“I won’t leave, don’t worry. And I’m not about to let your father hurt you again. Momo, Shinsou, and I will keep you safe.” 

Shouto laughed. 

“I’m supposed to be the one keeping you all safe from him.”

“Shouto,” Izuku pleaded. “You don’t have to face this alone. We can work together, I’ll break your spell and it’s going to be fine!” 

_‘How can you break this spell if you can’t even break your own?’_ he thought. He didn’t say it though. Izuku didn’t deserve that. Instead he took Izuku’s hand and squeezed it for comfort. His hand was covered in scars and rough with callouses, of which Shouto couldn’t discern the source of. Was being a hatter so dangerous or was it Bakugo’s doing? Maybe it was something else entirely. 

His fingers traced the spot he’d first kissed Izuku when they met. The other man gasped, recalling the instance as well. These hands were more wrinkled now, thanks to his father. If he stayed here he was afraid what Endeavor would do to Izuku. 

When Endeavor cursed Izuku, he didn’t know how much his son would grow to care for him. He had just been a pretty face he’d seem and someone he’d vowed to protect. His father probably cursed him just because he felt a connection between Izuku and his son. Now Izuku was one of the most important people in his life. If Endeavor caught them there was no telling what he’d do. He couldn’t risk losing him. 

“We’re not facing him, Izuku. We’re going to keep running away. We can keep eachother safe, and I’ll figure out how to evade his detection again. It’s going to be fine.” 

_‘Are you telling him, or yourself?’_ he wondered. 

The would go to the palace the next day, then he would move the castle somewhere his father wouldn’t follow. He’d give Izuku a proper room too, not just a bed under the stairs. It would be fine. Izuku was with him, and as he looked into the green eyes to his side he almost believed himself as he said it. 

_‘As long as he’s here with me, we’re going to be just fine.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter they're actually going to the palace! I had been going to write it as one chapter but I figured that would be too long so it would be better make them separate! Also, they're going to the palace, and you know who works there? Iida. He's finally gonna show up again! I love Iida and I've been watching the dub with my sister which only enforces the idea that Iida is a huge dork and I'm so proud. 
> 
> Also yesterday the fic reached 666 hits and 69 kudos! Sadly this wasn't at the same time but it gave me a good laugh. Thank you all for your support and for taking the time to read my story, I hope you're still enjoying it!


	10. Burn Marks and Handkerchiefs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouto takes Izuku to the palace to blacken his name to the King. It is a simple enough task, but Izuku worries he won't be able to say bad things about the man he loves, and he'll fail his mission. Little does he know, that's the least of his worries. 
> 
> (Aka get ready for some hurt + comfort!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, this chapter took a while to write, so I hope it was worth it in the end! If you love watching bad things happen to Izuku you're in luck, but I promise everything will be more than okay in the end! You have my guarantee!

That following morning Izuku woke up to the feeling of someone tapping him on the shoulder. It was Shouto, who was holding the outfit they’d bought the previous day, and motioning for Izuku to get ready. The wizard had evidently gotten up early and gotten ready first. 

His hair had a new sheen to it, his scar was a little more faded than usual, and he was wearing the suit jacket that Izuku had been mending the other day. He had to admit it did the wizard justice, hugging his body in all the right ways. The blue collar and embroidery brought out the colors in his eyes and the white of the fabric went with his hair quite nicely. 

“We should get ready to head to the palace soon. Yaoyorozu is going to look for new places to move he castle to while we’re out, so the sooner this is over the sooner we can leave, 

“Right,” Izuku muttered.

He wasn’t looking forward to bad mouthing the man he loved to the king, but if it had to be done he would do it. He got out of bed and made his way to the shower for a quick wash up before getting dressed. 

Since the bathroom had an abundance of mirrors he couldn’t help but admire the outfit that Shouto had put together. It did suit him quite well. The fabric fit his old form perfectly even without needing tailoring or magic, which made him wonder how the wizard had managed to pick out the perfect outfit on the first try. It was probably some magical ability he had. 

He stepped out of the bathroom and noticed the approving look on Shoutos face immediately. The way the wizard eyed him made his own face burn beet red. It really was unfair for him to be in a relationship and still look at him like that. This was probably why people proclaimed him a heartbreaker. 

Izuku awkwardly straitened his collar and made sure not to make eye contact with Shouto. The other man was still looking at him, and he was wearing the white and blue suit jacket. It looked too good on him, and Izuku cursed himself for fixing it. How was he supposed to know what an affect it would have on him? 

“Todoroki was right,” commented Shinsou, pulling Izuku out of his thoughts. “You do look really good in that outfit.”

Shouto glared at the fire demon. Izuku didn’t realize the two of them talked about him behind his back. He was glad they were only saying nice things apparently. 

“Thank you! That’s very kind of you to say, both of you.” 

“Hey, I may be a demon but I still have a heart.” 

This earned the demon another glare. Evidently Shinsou was up to some of his usual mischief but Izuku had no idea what double meaning the words could harbor. 

“You look lovely, Izuku. We should get going before it’s too late.” 

With that they departed and headed toward the place. Izuku took notice of the entrance to the castle this time. It was indeed a stable. It showed no signs of horses living in it and someone, probably Momo, had put up a sign on the door that said ‘please knock.’ 

Izuku was startled when he felt Shouto’s fingers intertwine with his own. He held his hand tightly and led him forwards. 

“This part of the city is very busy, I don’t want to risk losing you in the crowd especially while my father is looking for us.”

“He’s after you, not me. You don’t need to worry about my safety as much as you need to think of your own,” Izuku reminded him. 

“My father isn’t afraid to ruin the things I love to get to me. You’re in just as much danger as I am, maybe more.” 

Shouto said this matter of factly, as if it were no big deal. Meanwhile Izuku stopped dead in his tracks. 

_‘He said he loves me?’_

Shouto noticed him stop and turned around to see what had stopped him. He looked around to try and determine what caught Izuku’s attention but saw nothing. His brows furrowed in confusion.

“What’s wrong? Are you alright?” 

“Y-yea. I’m fine!” 

He reminded himself that platonic love was a thing. It was nice that Shouto trusted him so much, and he was glad that he cared about him after only knowing him for a while. He should stop reading so much into it, and just be happy to be friends with Shouto. 

Shouto moved through the crowded city streets like an expert. He’d been traveling streets like these for years evidently, and knew the ins and outs. Meanwhile Izuku awkwardly tried to keep up. He would certainly be lost were it not for the hand holding his own and guiding him.

Soon enough he saw the palace gates before him. His hand was promptly dropped and Shouto around to speak before they went any further.

“Alright, are you ready for this?” 

“As ready as I’ll ever be. We should get it over with, it’s not going to get any easier.” 

“Alright,” he said. He moved over to the gate and the guards recognized him. “This is my dear father, Izuku Todoroki. He’s here to see the King.” 

The guards nodded and let the both of them in. They made it down the initial entrance and to the stairs where Izuku had to take a moment and catch his breath. Shouto offered to carry him, but Izuku was quite sure he would die of embarrassment if he did. Instead he sat a moment and caught his breath while Shouto patted his back and waited patiently. Afterwards they made it to the top without further incident and a guard approached. 

“Good morning to you sirs, may I ask who you are and what business you have at the palace?” 

“I am the Great Wizard Todoroki and this is my father,” announced Shouto with a formality and certainty to his voice that Izuku didn’t recognize. This seemed to be the way people talked with nobility, apparently. “He wishes to speak to the king regarding a pressing manner. I shall not be accompanying him, I am simply here to make sure he found the place alright.”

“Understood. If you are not here to speak to the king I request that you wait here. Your father may proceed down the hallway to your right.” 

“Of course,” said Shouto with a bow. 

Apparently the hardest part of this would be making it through these formalities with a straight face. _‘You can do it, Izuku,’_ he encouraged himself. 

The guard showed him down the next hallway as Shouto went to the side and waited. All down the hallway were portraits of famous wizards and royalty from the past. Toward the end was a portrait of All Might and Izuku found himself smiling sadly at it. He would find a way to save All Might eventually, but sending Shouto out to look for him wasn’t the right way to do it. 

All too soon he found himself at a doorway that opened up to reveal the King. Neither the room nor the king where quite what he’d expected. The room was smaller than he’d pictured and instead of sitting on some massive extravagant throne the king sat in a chair with ornamental gold leaf. Before him was a small coffee table, and on the other side was a bench like chair for his guests to sit on. Meanwhile the King himself wasn’t even human. 

The creature sitting in the chair seemed to be some sort of bipedal animal. What sort of animal was he exactly? He wished Shouto had warned him about this. It must have slipped his mind. 

“Hello, you must be Todoroki’s father. We have not met before, so you are probably wondering, ‘Is he a mouse? Is he a bear? Is he a dog?’ Well, let me tell you, I’m the king! I must admit I don’t know very much about you, but it is very nice to be able to meet the man that shaped Todoroki into who he is today.” 

“With all due respect, your majesty, it was not me who made him who he is today, that is all due to his own efforts.” 

Izuku cringed at his own words. He was supposed to be bad mouthing Shouto, not defending him! This is why he didn’t want to do this, he knew he would be bad at it. 

“I see, my apologies. May I ask why the wizard’s father has come to see me today?”

‘Well, I’m here to tell you he won’t be looking for your lost wizard.” 

“Oh? But he seemed so willing to do it yesterday morning when I asked.”

“Yes well, he’s a finicky one. He makes promises he doesn’t intend to keep, and then makes others deal with the mess.” 

“Ah. Well, please, sit down. I see that you aren’t young, and we have much to discuss.” He turned to the guard who stood at his side. “Please fetch us some tea, would you?” 

Izuku sat in the chair opposite his majesty, his old bones creaking as he lowered himself into it. The guard went away and came back shortly with two teacups and a pot full of hot liquid. The King reached for the teaset to pour out two cups for them to drink from. Izuku couldn’t help but wonder how he managed to pick up objects with paws rather than hands, but knew asking questions like that would be rude. He was only here to ruin Shouto’s reputation, not his own as well. 

“Now, tell me, why doesn’t he want to go after All Might? He’d certainly be rewarded handsomely for taking the job, so it can’t be that there isn’t enough of an incentive.”

“The money isn’t Shouto’s priority. He’s scared. Endeavor is looking for him, and each day he seems to get closer. My son is magically gifted, but he’s a coward. He would rather spend his life running than face that wizard.” 

It hurt to say, because he knew it wasn’t true. Shouto was brave. At the moment, running away from his father was the only real choice that they had. Even with Shinsou, Momo, and himself helping he wasn’t sure if they were powerful enough to stop the man. Plus, what if Endeavor had allies as well? He started to question once more just who Dabi was to the man. 

“If he’s facing Endeavor’s wrath then he is right to be afraid, but please tell me more. Your son has been helping out the royal family on occasion for years, but I feel like there’s still so much I don’t know about him. As his father, you probably know him better than anyone else.” 

Izuku almost laughed. Shouto’s father knew as much about his son as a dog knew about theoretical physics. Sure, he knew what powers his son had, but was too self centered to actually care about his son’s personal life. Izuku had to compose himself. What could he say about the man he loved that would make him sound like a bad person? He never was very good at lying. 

“Well, I’m not sure where to start. He’s such a vain young man. Once I messed up his hair potions and he threw such a fit! He loses control of his magic when he gets over emotional, but other times he’s so emotionless and cold. He tends to keep to himself, and when he does reach out to others it’s only to break their hearts. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors, they’re all true! Plus, he makes messes and expects other people to clean them up for him. I mean, he sent me here to tell you that he can’t do his job instead of coming here himself, that’s proof enough he’s cowardly!” 

Izuku was sure he’d done a good job complaining, and King Nedzu seemed to think this over. 

“Yes, I agree. From what I’ve heard your son is very unreliable and selfish, is he not?” 

“Oh, very much so! And you forgot the part where-” 

“Thank you, Mr Todoroki. I believe I’ve heard all I need to hear.” 

“So you understand that you can’t count on him to find All Might then?” 

“I understand that he sent you here to make himself look bad. You’re saying he’s vain, but a vain man would never ask someone to badmouth him. Certainly they wouldn’t want a King to look down on them! I’m not going to lie, I’d had my doubts about your son’s motives when I first offered the job to him. I figured he was either in it to show off, or that he would do anything for money. Then you come telling me he doesn’t care about money and proving how he doesn’t care about his pride. He’s just the man I need for the job.” 

“What? No, I assure you he’s not! He’ll just run away at the first sign of danger. He’s so scared of Endeavor-” 

“I doubt that very much. I’m sure sending you here was to prove he was a coward and couldn’t come in person, correct? It seems like a last resort move to me. So it falls upon me to prove that his last resort has failed.”

“I think you’re reading too much into it, your highness.” 

“I don’t think I am. Please, tell your son that I’ve appointed him the Royal Wizard. His first Royal Command is to find All Might, whether dead or alive, and bring me his findings within the end of the year.”

“But-” 

“I won’t hear it, Mr Todoroki,” said the king before sipping his tea. “You may now take your leave.” 

Izuku got up to leave. _‘That could have gone better,’_ he thought dejectedly. In his distraught state he managed to leave through the wrong door, and found himself in part of the castle he hadn’t seen on the way in. He tried to find his way, but managed to take more wrong turns and soon he was lost in the castle and unable to discern the right way out. It must have been fifteen minutes before he found a room that looked like it led to the exit and opened the door, only to find it was a dining hall with no other entrances. 

“Drat,” he muttered to himself. 

“Looking for something, are you?” 

There was a tired sounding voice behind him, and Izuku almost jumped at the sound. He composed himself and turned around to see who was talking to him. Behind him there was a man dressed in black robes, with a long white scarf of some sort wrapped several times around his neck. He was glaring down at Izuku distastefully and did not seem happy to find him snooping about the palace. 

“I-I was just looking for the exit!” His voice cracked as he said it. 

“Right, and who are you to begin with? I’ve never seen you here before.” 

“I’m the father of the great Wizard Todoroki, of course.” 

“Of course,” parroted the man. “I should have known. You don’t exactly have a family resemblance, but it doesn’t surprise me that he’s sending other people to do his bidding now instead of just coming here himself.” 

“You know him?” 

“My name is Shouta Aizawa. I’m one of the King’s advisors, the one who handles his majesty’s magical requests. It used to be I only had to deal with All Might, but since he’s gone King Nedzu seems to have moved on to your son instead. Let me tell you, Mister Todoroki, your son is headed down a dark path.” 

“I’m sorry, what?” 

“Don’t pretend you haven’t noticed. It’s as if those with powerful magic can never be satisfied with what they have an instead go out seeking more power. This in turn corrupts them and starts them on their slow decline towards evil. It happened to the Wizard of the Wastes, and now it’s happening to your son. You wouldn’t happen to know what it is exactly that your son has done to head down this path, would you?”

Izuku cam to a sudden realization. Shinso's words echoed in his head, warning him that the contract he had with Shouto wasn’t good for them. Based on what Shouto had mentioned, he seems to get some power from their contract, but Shinsou wasn’t evil and neither was Shouto. Demon contract or not, Shouto was nothing like his father. 

“H-he’s made a contract with a fire demon, but-” 

“Yes, that would do it,” said Aizawa completely ignoring Izuku’s protests. “Demons do not understand concepts like good and evil. They are purely selfish, and while you can bribe them into forming contracts you have to give up something of yourself to do it. They demand something valuable that only a human could provide.”

Izuku thought over the words. What was something only a human could have? What had Shouto given up to make this pact? 

Aizawa continued. 

“Once the contract is made the life of both the Human and the Demon are prolonged, and the human gains the demon’s magic. It seems ideal right? But like I said, this sort of coexistence will only corrupt them both until they are like Endeavor.”

“Shouto is nothing like that man!” 

“Not yet, but give it time. Sure, it starts off as just him making contracts, but you must’ve noticed he’s started to wear charmed clothing? It’s subtle, as if the charm was stitched into the seams themselves. Using magic to charm people into finding you attractive is distasteful and a sign of a downward trend don’t you think? Of course you could prove me wrong about him by breaking their contract and ending the whole thing.” 

“Don’t think I haven’t tried.”

“What? With your paternal instincts and your own magical ability, I’m sure you’re capable.” 

“My own magic?” 

“Don’t play dumb, it doesn’t suit you.”

“Did Shouto tell you I was a wizard? Or Iida?” 

“No one had to tell me. I can see your gift. You talk magic into things, it’s quite the ability. That walking stick you carry is quite full of magical energy from your mutterings., almost like you’ve made a magic wand.” 

Izuku paused. It did make sense, when he thought about it. It was so rare to be born without magic, so it wasn’t out of the question that his magic was just too subtle to notice. He had found the castle right after asking the stick to lead him to it. He had told Shout’s jacket that it would charm people, and it did just that. He talked to his hats as he worked on them, and maybe that’s why people liked them so much. He wondered what other things he had talked magic into over the years and not noticed.

Still, this was no time or place to have this realization. He could talk to Shouto more about it when they got home. For now, he had to get away from Aizawa and find the exit. 

“Yes, of course. Don’t you think it’s getting a little late? I should probably get going.”

Aizawa stared at him intensely. 

“Don’t ignore this warning. Like it or not, he will turn to dark magic if you don’t stop him.” 

He glared after Izuku, and with that, he walked away. Izuku found himself alone in the hallway once more. He was free of Aizawa’s judgement but … he was still lost. 

_‘Think Izuku, if I were an exit where would I be?’_

He picked a direction he didn’t think he’d been yet and walked towards it. He came to the end of the hallway and went left, then went straight, and then made a right and-

He bumped into someone with such an impact that he was knocked to the floor and momentarily winded. He was fortunate to not break a hip at this age, but that seemed to be the only luck he’d had all day. Bad things came in threes, so odds were that this would be another unfortunate encounter with someone he had to lie to a alot. 

“Oh heavens, are you alright?” 

He felt a hand go to his shoulder as a tall man with dark blue hair and glasses knelt down to help him up. Was that … Iida? 

“I’m … better now that you’re here.” 

“Have we met before?” Iida looked puzzled, and brought a hand up to his chin as he pondered where they might have met. “Oh! You were that wizard in Todoroki’s house. My apologies for forgetting your face momentarily.” 

“Actually, Iida, we’ve met a few times before that.” 

Iida looked mortified. 

“My apologies! Please, inform me of these meetings post haste. I promise I will not forget this time,” he added with a bow. 

“Well I was much younger back then, but does the name Izuku Midoriya ring any bells?” 

Iida stopped bowing and looked at him in confusion. 

“Is … this some sort of joke?”

“Iida, I am dead serious. How could you forget me, one of your best friends? Wait until I tell Uraraka about this.” 

“But Izuku, what happened? How did you get so old? You’re only a month older than I am, not sixty years older. And why are you staying with Todoroki?” 

“He’s helping me out with some … problems I’m having and I’m helping him with some of his as well. He sent me here to badmouth him to the King actually. Endeavor is after him, so we have to be on the run.” 

“That is awful! I wish you both the best of luck. I’m glad you’ve found someone like him, Midoriya.” 

“The way you say that makes it sound like I’m dating him, Iida.” 

“Oh, you’re not? But the way you talked about him just now you had that fond look on your face that you usually only have when you talk about crushes or maybe cute animals-” 

“I have a look like that?” 

“Yes. Just ask Uraraka, she’s the one who pointed it out to me.” 

“Huh, well either way we’re … not dating. He has someone else.” 

Izuku looked at the ground, not wanting to make eye contact with Iida afraid that he might start crying again. He certainly didn’t want to tell him that the person he’d found was Uraraka. That was a whole other level of embarrassment on Izuku’s behalf. He wondered, what would happen between Todoroki and Uraraka when they moved? He’d have to ask when he got home. 

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize.” 

“It’s alright. I’m glad I have you to talk to, Iida. I’ve missed you,” he said as tears started to fill his eyes. So much for not crying. 

“Of course I missed you as well, Midoriya.” 

They hugged, but it was a little awkward because of the armored bits of Iida’s uniform that poked Izuku as they embraced. Still, he was glad to have someone he could talk to about this. He’d wanted to talk to Uraraka, but with her and Shouto being together he couldn’t tell her about his feelings. That thought brought more tears. He just wanted everything to be alright again. He wanted Shouto to be safe, and Uraraka and Iida to be his best friends who he could see every day and do dumb childish stuff with again. 

All too soon Iida let go of the hug and Izuku found themselves parted. Iida took out a handkerchief with his initials embroidered into it. He wiped away Izuku’s tears and the runny nose that had formed.

“I’m sorry, I ruined your handkerchief. I’ll wash it and bring it back as soon as I can-” 

“Keep it, Midoriya. If you’re on the run who knows when I’ll see you next, and I know for a fact you will need it again. I’ll consider it a promise that you will come back some day and we can all see each other like we used to; you, me, and Uraraka.”

“Thank you Iida!” He hugged him again. 

“Of course. Now would you care to tell me why it is you’re wandering the palace aimlessly?” 

 

・・・・・

 

With Iida’s help, Izuku finally made it out of the maze that was the Royal Palace. He was out in the Kinsgbury streets, which were still as packed as they had been before when Shouto was guiding him. He felt lost still without Shouto by his side, pulling him through the waves of people. What he wouldn’t give to see him. 

Instead, he spotted a different Todoroki. His heart stopped, and he froze dead in his tracks. _‘This can’t be happening._

Down the street approaching him was Endeavor himself. He wasn’t wreathed in flames like he usually was, so most people didn’t pay any attention to him. It was only Izuku whose eyes couldn’t leave the man. He must have looked like a deer in the headlights, knowing he was about to get hit by a car but not knowing any other alternatives and being unable to step to the side. 

To make matters even worse, Endeavor seemed to recognize him as well. His face turned into an angry smile. His lips were turned upwards at the corners, but teeth were gritted. It was like he was trying to smile but too angry at the sight of Izuku to do it properly. 

“My, if it isn’t the young man from the hat shop! I never forget a face, you know, especially one that I’ve made.”

Izuku wanted to punch him. He’d never wanted to hurt someone so badly, but he knew he couldn’t do it. If he started a fight with Endeavor he’d certainly end up losing and either dying, being cursed, or terribly injured. Still, after knowing how horribly he’d treated Shouto he had to restrain himself from attacking anyways. 

“What are you doing out here all dressed up,” continued the wizard. “And so far away from your little shop, what must your mother think?” 

_‘What does he know of my mother? He’s just goading me into a response, I need to keep calm.’_

“She would pinch my cheek and tell me how nice I look. She’s a very supportive parent, not that you’d know what that looks like.” 

“Hmm, you’d best watch your tongue boy, unless you are looking to be cursed a second time.” 

“And what will this next curse be? It can’t be any worse than having to stand here next to you. Anyways, if you attack me here on this busy street everyone will realize who you are, Endeavor.”

“You are foolish to assume you’re safe here just because there are other people around. They are so obsessed with their lives that they won’t notice something small happen. Besides, do you think they could stop me? How many of them do you think I could burn up before any real powerful wizards got here? You’d do best to be civil until I’m done speaking, boy.” 

Izuku had to admit he was right. He couldn’t risk anything because Endeavor wasn’t afraid to destroy innocent lives just to get to Shouto. He swallowed his pride.

“You … were saying.”

“That’s better. Now, where exactly are you headed today?”

“Me? I’m headed to the palace of course.” 

“Really now? Are you sure they’ll let you in?” 

“Of course they will, I’m going in to petition the king for better rights for hatters. I may be cursed to be an old man but I’ve moved on with my life. You should try it some time.” 

Izuku couldn’t help but say the last part. He couldn’t just play nice knowing who this man was and the horrible things he would do to the man he loved. He felt a hand go to his shoulder. It was hot. Not hot enough to light anything ablaze, but hot enough to be painful.

“Then why don’t we walk together then? After all, I’d like to watch you try and climb those palace stairs.” 

“Oh, you really don’t have to.” 

“I insist. One the way there you can tell me all about your week. How has my Shouto been?” 

“What makes you think I would know? Even if I saw him he wouldn’t recognize me like this.” 

“Hah! Good one. I know my son’s powers. After all I made him the wizard that he is today. I am well aware he can see through a spell like this with ease. Besides, I heard you two went on a shopping trip the other day.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

The hand gripped tighter on his shoulder, like he was threatening to dislocate it. 

“It is in your best interests, boy, to tell me the truth.” 

“Well I found this nice suit that you’re trying to ruin now. Nothing else really struck me. Some guy tried to sell me a book but I wasn’t interested.” 

“Hmm, then you should be more observant in the future.” 

Izuku was sure the hand on his shoulder was going to leave a bruise from how tight it held onto him. He could already see burn marks forming on the fabric. Endeavor’s hands were like an iron left too long on Izuku’s nice suit jacket. He would have mourned the ruining of such a nice article of clothing if his life weren’t also at risk at the moment. 

He was never so happy to see the Royal Palace again. The wizard’s hand on his shoulder loosened and instead turned into a hard pat on the back that nearly knocked him over. Endeavor offered him a fake smile with evident malice and motioned towards the gate. 

“Now, let’s see if you were telling the truth about going to see the King. If you do make it in there, remind Nedzu that it was his predecessor’s doing to banish me. If he hadn’t been so hasty maybe things would be different. I’ll wait right here. I want to see you make it up those stairs.” 

Izuku gulped and went up to the guard. He prayed they didn’t mention him being Shouto’s father, because if they did he was about to be cremated. 

“Hello,” he said sheepishly to the guard. 

“Oh, hello again. Did you-” 

“I forgot to mention something to the King,” he whispered. 

“Sure, right this way sir.” 

He let out a sigh as he was let into the palace gates and Endeavor stayed outside. He would climb a million stairs just to get away from that man. He felt horrified that Shouto had to live with that his first twelve years of his life. 

When he finally made it to the top of the stairs he was winded, and his heart was racing, but he was alive. The guard from earlier stared at him quizzically. 

“I’m sorry sir, you were gone so long we sent your son home to wait for you. If you’re looking for him he’s not here.” 

“That’s fine. Please, can you take me to Tenya Iida? It’s urgent.”

The guard reluctantly took him to the station Iida was posted at, and he waited there until Iida got back. In the meantime, he assessed the damage. His shoulder was bruised and felt sore but it wasn’t dislocated. It still hurt to move it. The sustained heat must have damaged it but the shoulder of his jacket took most of the damage. It was ruined, but there would be no scarring on his skin. As he was taking note of the injuries, Iida stepped in. 

“Midoriya? Are you okay?” 

Upon seeing his friend Izuku promptly let out the tears he’d been holding in since Endeavor had threatened him. He’d felt so powerless that whole walk to the palace, it was awful. There was no question that Endeavor was waiting for him to come back out again, and if the wizard caught him he’d lead the man straight to the castle. 

Iida saw the tears and rushed over. Izuku pulled out the handkerchief from earlier and wiped his eyes again, as Iida hugged him and assured him it would be alright.

“Endeavor found me and threatened to hurt other people if I didn’t do what he wanted. I don’t know how Shouto does it,” he sobbed into Iida’s shoulder. “I was only with the man for about five minutes and it was the worst feeling in my life. And he lived with that for twelve years?” 

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Iida whispered. 

“I don’t know if he’s waiting for me to leave or not. Is there any chance you can sneak me out of here? I don’t want to lead him back to Shouto.” 

“Of course.” 

 

・・・・・

 

Shouto stared at the door like his gaze would magically make Izuku appear any moment now. He had been in the palace waiting room so long they sent him home, and he’d half expected Izuku to be waiting for him, but found the castle empty aside from Momo and Shinsou. It worried him that Izuku wasn’t there, and he feared for what might have happened. He paced back and forth in the main room next to Shinsou’s hearth. 

“Please stop, Todoroki,” Shinsou complained. “He’s probably fine. You’re going to make yourself sick worrying over him so much.” 

“You don’t get it.” 

“I do get it. I care about him too, and we share a heart so trust me when I say I understand. But there’s nothing we can do but wait for him to get back home.” 

“But what if my father-” 

“If your father got him, he would let you know.” 

“That’s true.” 

“So please sit down, or go take a hot bath, or do something other than pace please.” 

Shouto stopped pacing, and immediately started to pick at his nails subconsciously. 

“You’re just fidgeting now.” 

“I can’t stop worrying, Shinsou. If anything has happened to him and I wasn’t there to stop it I’ll never forgive myself.” 

There was a knock at the door just then, and Shouto looked at the demon desperately waiting to hear what door it was. 

“It’s Kingsbury,” the demon announced. 

Shouto ran to the door and opened it. When he saw Izuku standing there he pulled him into a hug immediately. Izuku didn’t hesitate to return the embrace, squeezing the other as tight as he could. Neither wanted to let go. 

“Izuku, I’m so glad you’re okay.” 

“You’re a sight for sore eyes.” 

“Did something happen?” He pulled back and saw the burn marks on the suit. His eyes grew wide in absolute horror, his fears being confirmed. “Oh no. No, no no.” 

“Shouto, it’s okay! I’m fine! I have a few bruises, but the suit took the brunt of it!” 

“But it was … him? He’s here in Kingsbury?” 

Izuku nodded. 

“Iida helped me get away, and we took a secret palace exit so we wouldn’t bring Endeavor with us.” 

Shouto was made aware of the royal guard’s presence. He stood behind Izuku and behind them both was a small carriage. It was pulled into the stable entrance, which did seem normal enough to him. He hoped that it tricked his father. Izuku had evidently taken a long time because he was trying not to lead his father to the castle, which he was grateful for. 

“Thank you, Iida, for keeping him safe. And thank you, Izuku, for not leading him back to us, but are you sure you’re alright?”

“It’s … it’s nothing permanent.”

Iida bowed and announced that he’d give them space and that they could call on him if they needed any more help. Izuku gave him a quick hug, and then he went inside the castle. 

Inside, Shouto took off Izuku’s jacket and started to unbutton the dress shirt he wore so he could get a look at the shoulder without clothing in the way. It was red from the burning and underneath that purple bruises were forming. Izuku winced as Shouto touched it gently. 

“He saw me on the street when I was coming back and he told me if I didn’t listen to him he would hurt other people, so I had to listen to what he was saying. When I said things he didn’t like he tightened the grip he had on my shoulder. I … said a lot of things he didn’t like.” 

“Izuku, I’m so sorry-” 

“Don’t be. It’s entirely not your fault. I knew your father was horrible, but witnessing it first hand I … I don’t know how you managed. I felt so hopeless in just those five minutes and you …” 

Shouto gently cupped the side of his face and hushed him. With his thumb he wiped away the tears as they fell. He looked into the man’s large green eyes and wished he could take away every ounce of sadness and pain he saw in them.

“I should have been there to protect you.” 

“No, if you’d have been there it would have been worse. There’s no telling what he would have done. I’m glad you were safe.” Izuku brought a hand up to meet the one on his cheek. “Oh, and I failed to persuade the king. He’s appointed you the Royal Wizard.” 

Shouto laughed. He genuinely laughed. 

“Shouto, I’m not joking,” Izuku warned him. 

“Out of all the things to worry about, you choose that? So typical.” 

“Should I take offense to that?” 

“No. I love the way you are, I wouldn’t change it for the world.” 

“Oh.” 

“We should take care of your burns before they get worse. Come with me.” 

“S-sure.”

He walked into the bathroom with Izuku in tow and he looked through his collection of potions before he found a small vial with a light blue liquid. 

“Take your shirt all the way off,” he commanded. 

Izuku promptly undid the last few buttons and removed the garment while Shouto poured the contents of the vile onto his fingertips and spread it onto the wounded shoulder. It stung, and Izuku sharply inhaled as it made contact with his skin. 

 

“I’m sorry, I know this stings a little, but it will lessen the burn, maybe even take it away completely. I don’t know of anything we can do for the bruising, but I have some other potions that could numb the pain, if you’d like.” 

“How do you know healing magic?” 

“I learned a lot of it to try and heal the scar on my face. If it were a regular scar it would have worked, but being part of a spell component I’m afraid it’s permanent.” 

“Oh.” 

A silence fell between them, and he saw Izuku frown. He knew he had to change the subject. He didn’t want him to be sad. 

“So, the Kingsbury door is compromised for sure. We can probably keep the Porthaven one, but we should move the castle to a part of the Wastes we haven’t been to before.” 

No luck, Izuku looked sadder now. 

“When we move, what’s going to happen to Uraraka?” 

Shouto froze. After Izuku didn’t bring it up that first night, Shouto assumed they weren’t going to talk about it. Yet, here they were. 

“I should have told you I was seeing her sooner, I’m sorry. Actually, I shouldn’t have read your notebook to begin with. It was an invasion of your privacy, but when I read it you mentioned her a lot and I thought … well I thought I could learn something about how to break your spell if I talked to someone who knew you as well as she did.” 

“But I let you read my notebook, it wasn’t an invasion of privacy. Wait, you know about the spell?” 

“No, I read it that first night that you were here. That night you let me read it I only read the updated parts. I shouldn’t have gone through your stuff without permission. And yes, I realized that first day after you hugged me. I could sense my father’s magic on you, but I could also sense this,” he said as he put his clean hand on top of Izuku’s own. He traced over the protection spell with his fingers. 

“Oh.” 

“I was trying to find a way to break if for you, but so far I’ve had no luck. Uraraka had some ideas but so far those haven’t worked either.”

“But what about you and her?”

“Right, you were there one day but you never brought it up. Did you .. happen to hear what we were saying?” 

“No, you were too far away and I felt guilty accidentally spying on my friend’s date.” 

Shouto paused. Oh no. It suddenly made sense. He hadn’t heard his confession, and what’s worse was he thought they were on a date! That explained why he wasn’t getting anywhere trying to flirt with Izuku. 

“Did you … think that Uraraka and I were on a date?”

“Well, weren’t you on a date?” 

Shouto laughed nervously. What a mess he’d made of the whole situation. At lease Izuku wasn’t mad he’s gone through his things. 

“No! Definitely not! Izuku, didn’t she tell you she has a girlfriend?” 

“What?” 

“Yes. They’re very sweet together. Anyways, Uraraka is a very nice girl but I’m not interested in her that way. I’m not actually interested in dating girls at all.” 

“But the rumors-” 

“Are just that. People knew I had dated girls when I was younger, but I was still figuring out my sexuality then. Either no one noticed I’ve only dated guys since then, or they are pretending to ignore it. I hope it’s just the prior.” 

“Ouch!” 

Shouto had accidentally pressed too hard in his application of the potion. He frowned at the finger in questions and felt bad he’d added to the pain Izuku was in.

“Sorry.” 

“No! It’s fine. I’m … glad we had this talk.” 

“Me too.” 

“And thank you for healing the burn. I was lucky the jacket seems to be the real victim here.” 

“I can mend it too if you’d like.” 

“You don’t have to,” Izuku assured him. 

“But I want to.” 

Shouto wanted to be able to care for Izuku the way the other man took care of everyone else. He deserved to be looked after and treated with kindness. Shouto found himself looking into those green eyes again, and they were staring back at him. The tears had stopped, but Izuku's eyes were still watery and puffy from so much crying. They looked up at him with sadness, but also with relief and a hint of adoration. 

Shouto found his gaze traveling downwards and to the man’s lips instead. He wondered what they would feel like. Were they soft, or were they rougher like his hands? He wanted to badly to put a smile back on them, and without thinking he found his hand that wasn’t resting on the shoulder come up to cup the side of Izuku’s head again. 

He gasped a little, but leaned into the touch and closed his eyes. Shouto had suspected that Izuku felt the same way, and this seemed to be a sign. His lips parted and he started to lean in. He was mere inches from his face when there was a knock on the bathroom door, and Shouto was reminded he’d left it unlocked. 

He turned to see Momo open the door, and he scrambled to move away from Izuku. What had he been thinking? This was no time for a kiss, they had bigger problems. He composed himself, but he was sure his face was flushed. He looked over at Izuku who seemed very confused at the sudden withdrawal and and felt a bit bad for leaving him hanging like that. 

“When you’re both ready I have a list of possible new locations for the castle doors.”

“Of course, thank you,” said Shouto. He was still quite embarrassed about trying to kiss Izuku. The other man was injured and vulnerable, he would try and kiss him some other time when he was more emotionally composed and thinking clearly. It had been a long day for them both. 

“Izuku,” he started.

“Y-yes?” 

“You should get some rest. Your injuries need to heal and you’ve had a long day.” 

“Oh … right.” 

With that he turned to walk out of the bathroom, and walked towards the stairs. On his way there, he noticed the discarded jacket and picked it up to fix it later. Shouto sighed. _‘I should have known father would do something like this. I have to be more careful,’_ he scolded himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚


	11. All Too Familiar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Kingsbury location compromised, Shouto decides they should visit a prospective new location for the castle. Izuku knows the place very well, considering it's his childhood home. Time for a visit to Inko Midoriya! 
> 
> Plus, what will Izuku do about a sudden unwanted houseguest who tries to get in?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I hope you're enjoying this fic so far! Thanks for the support, and feel free to leave comments/questions/ect! 
> 
> Fair warning: I might not be able to write much this next week, since i'll be in Nova Scotia! My namesake county! But I won't have my cell phone because of complications, so I'll only be able to write on my laptop for a while. I should be able to update still as long as my sister isn't reading over my shoulder all the time!

Izuku Midoriya had never been good at relationships. In fact, he’d never actually had a real relationship. If you counted the mutual crushes that he and Uraraka had once had on eachother then he had one, but everything else was just a case of him pining after people he told himself he had no chance with and never doing anything about it. Plus, when would he have time to date? He’d been so busy in school, then so busy running the hat shop, and now he was so busy trying to save the man he loved as well as his childhood hero and possibly the whole kingdom. It had never been the right time or the right person or the right feelings. 

But then, Shouto had been sitting in front of him guiding his face closer to his own and it had felt so right. Izuku had closed his eyes and leaned in, waiting to feel those soft lips against his own, only for the other man to pull away all together and change the subject. He was … confused. 

“Did I misinterpret his gesture? Was there some way that was just him trying to be physically affectionate in a platonic way? Oh no, what if I made him uncomfortable by thinking it was a kiss? But what if it was a kiss and he was just embarrassed? He knows I’m not actually an old man, but Momo doesn’t realize so maybe he thought it would be weird to kiss an eighty year old in front of her? Actually, it would be weird to kiss anyone in front of her. She probably wouldn’t kiss Jirou in front of me either so-” 

“Please, for the love of all things magical, stop muttering in there,” complained Shinsou from the other room. 

Izuku was washing laundry in the bathtub, and planned to take it outside to dry when he was finished. Shouto reminded him earlier that he could dry it magically, but Izuku liked the windswept and grassy smell that came from hanging laundry outside in the fields of the wastes. They had moved further along, and weren’t close to Market Chipping anymore, which Izuku missed. He understood that they had to move along or else Endeavor might find them. 

“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t realize I was doing that out loud.” 

“It’s okay, just keep it down.”

The fire demon’s presence reminded Izuku of what Aizawa had told him the previous day. Shouto had given Shinsou some part of himself that only a human could give. What could it be? What did humans have that other animals didn’t? The human brain was very advanced, but he didn’t think Shouto could live without that. He also still had both his thumbs, and he while bipedal walking wasn’t common in animals it wasn’t like Shouto could give the demon his spine. Or maybe it was metaphorical? Shouto often accused himself of being a coward, maybe that was because he was ‘spineless?’ He moved into the main room to inquire more about it. 

“Shinsou, how come in all the time I’ve been here I haven’t received a single clue as to what your contract is?”

The demon flared up, and looked sincerely offended. 

“I’ve given you many clues!” 

“Well, can you give them to me again? I’ve missed them.” 

“You need to look closer. If I told you it was a clue, then it wouldn’t be a clue anymore. That would be talking about the contract directly, and that’s forbidden.” 

“Hmm. I guess you’ll have to hint harder.” 

“If I hinted any harder, I would just be giving it away. I have to be subtle to talk about it at all.” 

He sighed. He wasn’t getting anywhere with this. He returned to the bathroom and gathered up the damp clothing in a basket and got ready to hand it outside, only when he opened the door he froze up. There on the other side of the door waiting was a scarecrow. No … not just any scarecrow. It was the decrepit looking All Might scarecrow he’d seen on his first day out. What was it doing here? Did someone put it there? 

“Oh, hello. Long time no see,” he said to it with a giggle. 

It all seemed so funny … until it moved. It had to be the wind right? It was awfully precariously balanced, so it probably just wobbled trying to stay up. But then it moved again. It hopped towards Izuku, and he yelped. He closed the door, but the scarecrow shoved a straw arm into the doorway to keep it from closing properly.

“Shinsou, help!” 

“What do you expect me to do?” 

“I don’t know! I’m going to try and push it away, move the castle faster so we can outrun it!” 

Izuku opened the door and with all his strength he tried to push the creature away. The creature was stronger, and Izuku topped backwards. He could have sworn the scarecrow looked apologetic, like it wanted to help him back up. 

“Get away from me!” Izuku swatted at it with his walking stick as he scrambled to get back up. The Scarecrow-Might dodged the attacks expertly, and Izuku was starting to worry. Was this some attack from Endeavor? It didn’t seem too malicious, but it definitely was trying to get into the castle for some reason. What did it want? Was it a spy?

Izuku started pushing and waving his stick around wildly, hoping to confuse the creature enough that he might land a hit, but it was no good. It either parried with its arms or dodged. It was stronger, and more agile than most humans, let alone scarecrows! Just when all hope seemed lost, it occured to Izuku that he hadn’t tried to kick it yet. With his leg he swept at the long stick that made up the creature’s base. It toppled over indignantly, and Izuku used that to slam the door shut and lock it. 

“Now, Shinsou! Go!” 

Shinsou reluctantly sped up the castle, but not without complaining about how he had to do all the work around here. They sped along the countryside. The castle’s legs must have been going a mile a minute, but Izuku was too busy huddled by the door with his stick in hand to notice. Instead, he was looking around to try and find something to barricade the door with. 

He grabbed one of the chairs and propped it under the doorknob in hopes that the leverage would be enough to keep out the invading scarecrow. He then went to huddle under the covers of his bed instead. He watched the door cautiously, waiting to hear the creature pounding on the wood or trying to turn the handle with a straw filled gloved hand. 

There was silence. 

“Can I slow the castle down now?”

“Only if the scarecrow is gone”

“I can’t tell. It’s not flesh and blood so I can’t detect it.”

Izuku clutched at his chest. All the excitement wasn’t good for an elderly heart. He laid down and hoped his heartbeat would slow down and the pain would go away soon. 

“Are you okay? What’s wrong? Izuku?” 

There was a bit of panic in the fire demon’s voice. _‘He does care, that’s sweet of him._

“It’s my heart.” 

“How did a scarecrow injure your heart?” 

“I guess you fire demons wouldn’t understand human organs. It scared me when it was trying to get in, and so my heart rate increased, and an old organ like mine doesn’t handle that very well.”

“I know more about hearts than you’d think. I’m not entirely made of fire, you know.” 

Izuku was too preoccupied to catch the hint. He took a deep breath in, and let it out. Slowly he got up from his bed, deciding to be brave. 

“I’m going to check if it’s still here or not,” he announced clutching his stick like it were a sword and cautiously approaching the doorway. He removed the chair that barred the door, and was relieved when nothing used that opportunity to barge in.

He peaked out, and saw nothing on the doorstep, much to his relief. He opened the door all the way, and even made sure to check behind it in case the All Might look alike was hiding, but that too was free. He was going to announce that Shinsou could slow down, when he looked further out into the wastes. Through the thin fog he saw a creature hopping up and down about fifty feet away. It was keeping pace with them quite well, in spite of the rapid speed at which the castle accelerated across the hills. 

“Is it safe?” Shinsou called out from the hearth. 

“No! It’s matching our pace somehow!” 

“What? But by the calculations I did we should have outrun it long ago. Just how fast can a scarecrow be?”

“Apparently … very fast,” Izuku sighed. “We have to speed up more, or we’ll never lose it!”

“Such a fuss over a scarecrow?” 

Izuku looked at the demon with pleading eyes, and Shinsou couldn’t say no to that face. He gave out an exasperated sigh, but complied anyways. The castle gave a jolt and Izuku could feel it trembling as it went. It was like riding in a carriage along a dirt road. Things jostled from side to side, but thankfully did not fall over. Even the cobwebs in the ceiling swayed with the motion. Izuku hoped the shaking wouldn’t mess up any of the potions or other sensitive magical devices in the place. But then again, if a scarecrow got into the castle and thrashed around the damage would be more severe.

After about half an hour he peeked out the door again, and saw the scarecrow was just a dot on the now clearing horizon. The fog was gone, they were losing the scarecrow, and the sun was out. It was becoming a nice day after all. 

“You’re losing him, good work Shinsou!”

The demon nodded, thankful to be appreciated for once. 

In another half hour Izuku checked again and saw no sign of scarecrows in sight. They were free of their pursuer at last! He closed the door and started to fix things that had moved out of place from the castle’s shaking. He secured books that were tipping on their shelves, or made sure none of the glass potion bottles had broken or cracked from clinking against each other. 

Suddenly he was startled by a pounding on the door. _‘Oh no, how did it find us again?’_ He readied his stick for an attack, and went over to the door. 

“Come on, stick. We have to protect the castle again,” he muttered to it. He was reminded of what the man at the castle said yesterday. He talked magic into things, so he’d probably just cast some sort of spell into the stick again, hadn’t he? He’d have to be more mindful of what he said from now on, but it was hard to keep track of his muttering from time to time. 

He pulled the door open and was about to swing his stick, when a pale hand reached out and grabbed it. This hand wasn’t gloved or made of straw, but made of the normal things that make up a human hand such as skin and presumably blood. Before him stood Shouto, who looked a little bewildered at the attempted assault, but started to laugh anyways. 

“Thanks for the warm welcome, Izuku.” 

“S-sorry! I’m so sorry, oh gosh! I was expecting someone else and-” 

Shouto suddenly looked worried. 

“Was my father here?” 

“No! It was a scarecrow!”

“A ... scarecrow?”

“Yes! It’s this ratty old scarecrow I pulled out of the bushes when I was first looking for the castle. I think it was supposed to look like All Might but whoever made it clearly didn’t know the man because it looks like a skeleton and the hair is all droopy! It doesn’t do him any justice!”

Shouto laughed a little. It was a subtle laugh, he didn’t even open his mouth, but he brought a hand up to cover it anyways. _‘God, that’s so cute,’_ Izuku couldn’t help but think.

“You’re clearly an All Might fan, aren’t you?”

“Of course! He’s a real hero … I hope we can find him.” 

Shouto sighed. 

“I’ve tried, believe it or not, to look for him already.” 

“What? But it’s dangerous and-” 

“This was when he first went missing. I looked up to him as a child as well, much to my father’s dismay. So when I heard he was missing I searched all over the wastes but found no sign of him. It’s like he’s just not here anymore. I can’t even use detection spells to locate him, which is possibly a good sign. If he were dead it would have brought me to his corpse.”

“I hope he’s alright wherever he is. He always uses his magic to defend and save anyone in need. As long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be just like him, but when I didn’t develop any magic everyone said to give it up … even my own mother. But, I do have magic apparently. I just found out yesterday.”

Izuku paused, remembering all the harsh words that Bakugo had said to him. The taunts and bullying, all the times he’d been injured or attacked. The other man had claimed it was because he lacked magic, but what sort of excuse was that? He was sure if he went home the man would find something new to hold over his head. 

“You didn’t think you had magic?” 

“I can apparently talk magic into objects, but it’s so subtle I never noticed it until Aizawa pointed it out to me.” 

Shouto made a face when he heard Aizawa’s name. Evidently he’d met the man and understood that he wasn’t exactly friendly company. 

The wizard decided to change the subject when he saw Shinsou looking exhausted on a nearly burnt out log. He reached over and brought the demon fresh burning material, and cupped the creature in his hands. It didn’t seem to burn Shouto at all, and when he blew into the flames they flared up again. Shinsou looked newly rejuvenated, and Izuku decided he should write this down in his notebooks when he got the chance. He’d nearly doubled the content in this one since arriving at the castle. It also occurred to him he could make a page about himself, since he was apparently magically gifted afterall. 

“What was so terrifying about this scarecrow that you caused Shinsou so much trouble over?” Shouto pondered. 

“It was trying to get in here! I tried to push it back but it was stronger than I am and it would have gotten in if I hadn’t kicked it in the leg and made Shinsou speed up the castle.”

“Hmm, that is concerning. Just please be more careful in the future. Make sure not to overwork him and supply him with enough logs. On top of losing a friend, all sorts of terrible things would happen if he went out.” 

Izuku thought about how Shouto’s life was apparently prolonged by the demon. What would happen if the demon were to go out? What was the full extent of their bond? 

“I’ll make sure to take care of him.” 

With that, Shouto went upstairs and Izuku was alone for a full minute before another loud knock came from the door. This time it was Momo, who wore the largest smile on her face. She seemed giddy, like nothing in the world could go wrong today. 

“What’s the good news?”

Momo almost squealed with joy, but composed herself slightly before she made the big announcement. 

“Jirou loves me!”

“That’s wonderful! Congratulations!”

“I was out in Market Chippings looking for new places to live, and I happened to stop by the bakery while she was on break, so we went for a walk around town. She told me about this hat shop that was for sale that’s not too far from her so we could see eachother every day, and I told her that sounded lovely! Then when I walked her back to her job she pulled me into a kiss and told me that she loved me! Of course I told her I loved her too!” 

Izuku was torn. He was ecstatic about the good news that Momo had shared, but then again she’d also told him that the hat shop was for sale. There was only one hat shop, and it was the one that his mother ran. He felt suddenly very sad. 

He’d not expected to be gone so long, and he wasn’t sure how able to run the shop his mother had been in his absence. He’d been too ashamed to visit her in this state, and had sworn he’d go back once the curse was lifted. He felt at the locket around his neck. It was hidden under his clothing, but he knew inside it was the picture his mother had shown him. Didn’t he promise he’d be back? 

Instead, he’d ended up leaving his mother just like their father had. Now, she couldn’t afford to keep the shop going and it was all his fault, wasn’t it? Well, it was Endeavor’s fault but he had still played a part by leaving. 

“Izuku?” 

“Y-yes? Sorry! I was lost in thought. Anyways, I’m so happy for the both of you! It’s just been a while since I’ve been to Market Chipping. It would be nice to go back.”

“Oh, right, you’re from that area! I forgot.”

“It’s fine!” He assured her. He wished Momo knew he was under a spell so they could all be on the same page about who he really was. Shouto and Shinsou had both figured it out, and he felt bad keeping her in the dark on the matter.

“I should talk to Todoroki about the location. I know he’s been fond of that area recently, so I hope I can convince him to let us move!”

“I’m sure no one could say no to you when you look that happy, Momo! Good luck.” 

She left, and he was alone once again. If Shinsou weren’t napping the demon would have reminded him he’s not alone while he’s there. Izuku wasn’t sure if this was the demon being self conscious or reassuring. 

Either way, he was alone with his worries for his mother’s behalf. Endeavor had mentioned her, but Izuku desperately hoped that was only a taunt to make him upset. Still, if Endeavor would hurt him to get to Shouto, he probably wasn’t above hurting his mother to hurt him to hurt Shouto as well. He laid down on the bed to focus on his thoughts, and didn’t even notice when he fell asleep, laundry completely forgotten. 

・・・・・

Shouto woke him up the following morning announcing that that they were going to scout the locations that Momo suggested. 

“She said she found a place near Market Chipping for sale and they have a shop front and upstairs apartment. It sounds like a nice idea, but what would we sell? Aside from magic I don’t have any marketable skills really, what about you?”

“Well I used to run a hat shop, but you know what they say. You can buy the shop but you can’t buy the business.”

“What do you mean?” 

“The shop for sale is … well it’s the shop that I used to run. I don’t know why my mother is selling it. She must not be able to make ends meet without me there.” 

“Oh, Izuku I’m sorry. I didn’t realize …. but …. well …. I can assure you your mother is just fine. I don’t know why she’s selling the shop but it can’t be financial reasons.” 

Izuku was puzzled. What did Shouto know about his mother? And why did he look so embarrassed? It was probably just embarrassment about buying Izuku’s home unknowingly. He brushed it aside and instead focused on being relieved. He didn’t know how Shouto knew this information, but he trusted him. He was probably using some sort of magic power to determine this information. 

“Well, I suppose you already know the area, so if you don’t want to scout it out with me you don’t have to. Although, your mother will probably be in the house if you wanted to see her.”

It was just the thing Izuku needed to hear at the moment. He wanted to find out why she was selling the shop, and tell her all about what had happened, and maybe introduce her to Shouto. 

“I’d love to go. When would we leave?”

“As soon as you’re ready.” 

Izuku got dressed hurriedly. He had been so used to seeing his mother every day for the first eighteen years of his life that he’s never expected to feel so homesick. He’d never really planned to leave the house, yet here he was anyways. 

_‘Mom … I’m coming home! I promised I’d be back.’_

He joined Shouto, who he noticed had touched up his appearance a little. He seemed to be going for a more disguised look, as his scar was hidden and his hair was now entirely a shade of silvery white. He didn’t have the usual flashy jackets that he normally wore. Instead he was in his plain white tunic with the first few buttons undone and some black pants with dress shoes.

Izuku got ready to leave by the front door, but he noticed that the wizard wasn’t going that way. After a quizzical glance, he explained that it would be too far for Izuku to walk, so he had prepared a teleportation spell instead. 

He poured a circle of some sort of powder, and recited an incantation, and soon enough he found they had been transported to one of the back alleys in Market Chipping. 

“It’s faster to travel this way. Plus, with my father after us the less time we spend out in the open the better. My father is likely watching, or at least has henchmen our looking for us.” 

That explained the hair. He couldn’t help but feel this color suited Shouto quite nicely. It was softer than the red color, that he had noticed was the same color as his father's hair. He couldn’t help but wonder if the silvery white hair was what his mother's hair had looked like. He didn’t talk about her much, but Izuku could tell he fond of her. It was good he had one parent who wasn’t terrible. Izuku knew firsthand that one good parent was enough. 

He took Shouto’s hand in his own which seemed to startle the Wizard. 

“I should lead you around, since I’m the expert in this area.” 

“Of course,” Shouto said quietly. He evidently hadn’t expected the hand holding.

Izuku took them through the back streets and past shops that he gave brief reviews of as they went by. They went past a tavern, and a pharmacy, and a small park. Then they passed by a bakery that seemed to be doing a booming business. 

“That one there is Sato’s Bakery. It’s where Momo’s girlfriend works. Maybe after we visit my mother we can check the bakery out as well? That is, assuming we have time. And they are a bit pricey so I shouldn’t assume-“

“It’s fine,” Shouto assured him, giving his hand a light squeeze. “I’d love to visit the bakery. You’ll have to recommend what I get, I’m not too familiar with baked goods.”

Izuku’s smile was brighter than the sun that shone down on the small town. He couldn’t wait to meet Momos girlfriend and make Shouto try some new sweets! 

They soon arrived outside the hat shop, and Izuku noticed that the storefront was closed. The sign that said the shop name was removed from the window and inside it was completely emptied aside from some spare mannequin heads that still sat on the counter. It made him a little sad, but the door was unlocked so they went in. 

The unlocked door worried him. Since that was how Endeavor had first gotten in and cursed him that night. He was relieved when the door the the upstairs apartment opened and in stepped his mother. She was friendly and smiling, even before she realized who it was in the shop. 

“I’m sorry, we’re closed at the- Izuku! My baby!” 

She ran towards him and tackled him in a hug. The tears flew everywhere as they both embraced. Shouto stood to the side, safe from the splash zone that was created by all the crying. Izuku and his mother were both affectionate and very emotional even without a proper reason. So given the circumstances they were even more of a mess together.

“Hi Mom,” Izuku sobbed into her shoulder. 

“Izuku I’m so happy to see you! It’s been so long, I’ve missed you honey!” 

“I missed you too Mom,” he sobbed. His tears were stopping, and he composed himself. “But, is there a reason you’re selling the shop? I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help you run it.” 

There was a shifting noise as Shouto tried to make it to the exit without detection, only to be caught by both Izku and his mother. He explained that he would give the two their space. 

“Wait,” he called out as he reached for Shoutos hand again. “Mom, this is Shouto Todoroki. I’ve been staying with him a while and he’s trying to get me back to my younger form. He’s … very important to me.” 

“Oh, I know! It’s wonderful.” 

“You … know?” 

“Like I said, I’ll wait outside,” Shouto announced as he skunk out the door looking quite embarrassed. 

“He looks a little different now, with the silver hair and no sar, but that young man has been here before. He came in last week and told me that you were fine and that he was your employer. He said you wanted to send your wages home to me so I wouldn’t be struggling with the shop. He’s been here a couple times since to check in and drop off your paychecks.” 

“He said what?” 

“Well, is that not the case?” 

“Right, of course it is,” he lied. “I just didn’t expect him to visit in person is all.” 

“How else would he deliver your wages, silly?” 

He laughed nervously. 

Why was Shouto giving his mother money? He was glad, but very perplexed by the whole thing. 

“Anyways, with the extra income I didn’t need to run the hat shop anymore and I’m getting old so I decided to sell it. A young woman came in and gave me an offer earlier,” that must have been Momo. “I said yes. I’m sorry, I should have asked you first I suppose.” 

“Is fine, mom! I’m glad you’re doing well. Where exactly are you planning to go?” 

“I found a small cottage on the other side of town in going to buy. It’s cozy and has a nice view of the hills!” 

They continued to catch up with small talk and exchanging their stories. He left out the part about Endeavor hurting him, and the scarecrow, and him having to meet the king. He wasn’t sure his mother could handle that. 

“Izuku, you know I’ll love you no matter what you choose to do with your life, right?” 

“Yes, you’ve always told me that you’d love me whatever I did, but you’d never stop worrying about my safety. Is this about me coming back to the hat shop?”

“No, I’m not talking about your career. I mean who you love. I don’t want you and Shouto to have to pretend you’re not dating for my sake. You’re my son and I love you just the way you are.” 

He started to cry again. 

“M-mom,” he sobbed. 

She hugged him again and hushed his sobbing. He’d never had a boyfriend to bring home to her, so he never explicitly said to her that he was bisexual. He’d mentioned crushes in the past and she had always been careful not to assume he only liked girls because of that, but he’d never officially came out to her. It meant a lot to hear her say that. Only … 

“Shouto and I aren’t dating.” 

“Oh? But you were holding hands, and he talks about you so sweetly, and it’s clear you like him as well.”

“I …. I’m not sure what we are to each other,” he admitted. He hoped there was something more there, but he’d always been afraid to count his ducks before they hatched. What if he was just misreading signals? 

“That’s alright. Sometimes these things take time, honey. If you two need a while to figure it out, that’s fine! Just don’t give up on this. I can tell you two mean a lot to each other.” 

“Thanks, Mom, he sniffled. “I- I’ll do that!” 

He went to the door and ushered Shouto back in. They wizard tried to gauge the way that conversation had gone, and was met with two smiling faces that reassured him. 

“So, Mrs. Midorya-“ 

“Please, call me Inko! Any friend of my sons is a friend of mine.” 

“R-right. Well, Inko, would you mind showing us around the house? My apprentice and I are looking to buy the place. I believe she dropped by earlier and made an offer. I must apologize, I hadn’t realized this was Izuku’s childhood home when she told me where she wanted us to move.” 

“Oh, that’s quite alright! It’s fine with me as long as Izuku is alright with it.” 

Izuku nodded. 

Inko showed them the features of the shop first. There were shelves and displays and a cash register that was built into the wood of the shops countertop. The window had nice glass for displaying products. 

“What do you plan to sell? Are you going to keep selling hats or have you found a new love?” 

“The hats were your shop, I’d feel bad taking it from you Mom.” 

“We’ll figure something out,” Shouto assured. 

She led them upstairs and Izuku suddenly realized how embarrassing this would be. The stairs were lined with pictures of their family. There some smaller ones of him over the years. They showed him with his enormous smile and bright eyes. Some showed him with casts from encounters with Bakugo or other bullies, while others showed him with his protectors Uraraka and Iida. At the top of the stairs was a small table with a vase of flowers and a picture of Inko and her husband at their wedding. It reminded Izuku of the picture in the locket she’d given him. 

_‘I kept my promise, Mom. I returned back home.’_

Todoroki paused momentarily at each photo, taking in the sight of each. He admired the happy smiles and the youthful innocence where it could be found. He frowned at the ones where Izuku was injured, like he wished he could go to the past and personally shield him from these attacks. 

They both stopped to look at he picture of his father. Shouto hadn’t said anything about the locket while they’d been staying together. They both had personal wounds that were still too hurt to share. Shouto understood his was one of Izuku’s. 

Inko took them into the next room which was their kitchen. Showed them the cabinets and the other forms of food storage. It was a small room, so the tour of it was over quickly but Inko kept talking after everything there had been seen. This time she was telling a story about how Izuku had tried to adopt a wild rabbit he caught once. He’d begged his mother to let him keep the animal and name it after his childhood hero.

“You wanted to name it All Might?” 

“His hair reminded me of the bunny’s ears,” Izuku defended. 

“And then another time he came home and told me he’d gotten married!” 

“Mom! I was eight!” 

“Exactly! You came home talking about how happy you were to have married Uraraka. Iida officiated, and even made them a fake marriage certificate and name change paperwork and joint bank accounts and everything!” 

“Who took whose last name?” 

“They hyphenated.” 

Shouto smiled at Izuku, who looked like he was going to melt into the floorboards. He his his cherry red face in the palms of his hands as if that would make the embarrassment go away. He peaked between his fingers and saw the smirk Shouto gave him. _‘Curse him and that evil smile,’_ Izuku thought. 

“You know, we should move on to a different room,” Izuku muttered. 

“Oh, fine! I’ll show you my bedroom here on the right and then we’ll move on to Izuku’s bedroom afterwards.” 

“W-wait! You can’t show him that,” Izuku pleaded. 

“Izuku,” Shouto whispered. “You’ve slept in my bed, this only seems fair.” 

He had a point, but Izuku still didn’t want Shouto to see his bedroom. 

They toured Inko’s room, which was the master bedroom. She pointed out the lovely window above her bed and the nice wooden walls and flooring. It showed how old the house was, but also how well she and Izuku had taken care of it. There was a closet built into the wall and Izuku couldn’t help but wonder how Shouto would fit all his clothes in there once they moved in. 

On the way out, Inko showed them the bathroom that was across the hall. It was tiny, and probably the size of Shouto’s tub at the castle. The wizard looked at the room intensely. Izuku wasn’t sure if he was trying to think of ways to make it larger or if he was just wondering how people functioned in such a small space. Momo wouldn’t be happy with the bathroom either.

Then, they went up a small flight of stairs to the attic room. It was rather small, but there was a bedroom area on one side. This was mostly plain furniture. There was a bed, a desk, a chair, and a bookcase. What struck Shouto as odd was the sheer amount of All Might merchandise that Izuku had managed to pack into the place. The large quilt on the bed had a pattern that looked like All Might’s face, and there was a little handmade All Might figure that was on the headboard watching over whoever slept there. There were other All Might dolls and toys that Izuku had gotten for birthdays or holidays or passed down from friends. Shouto couldn’t count them all.

The wall had hand drawn All Might posters that ranged in quality. Shouto had seen the way Izuku drew, and he was quite good at it. However some of the drawings on the wall were mostly crayon scribbles of red, yellow, and blue, with two large yellow sticks coming out of the head. On the bookshelf was a collection of notebooks. They started off as little notebooks with poorly scribbled titles on the spine, and they progressed into real journals with painstakingly written letters. _‘These must be the rest of the magic notes Izuku had taken,’_ thought Shouto. 

Izuku watched in horror as Shouto wandered up to one and pulled it out to start reading. He went over to see what he was reading and he saw the poorly drawn diagrams of different wizards. A lot of them weren’t popular wizards anymore. They had been famous for a year or so before they were moved past for the newer models. There were some notes he took on Thirteen for Uraraka and some drawings of Iida in armor like his big brother wore. Casually, Izuku tried to snatch it from Shouto, who simply smirked and moved his hand away at the last minute. 

On the right was a smaller room that might have been intended as a closet. Inside were several mannequin heads with partially done hats. His mother explained how everyone thought Izuku’s hats were the best, and often people would call in orders specifically for Izuku’s work. 

“Um, mom that reminds me. It turns out … I do have magic after all?” 

“What!? Really!?” 

“Yea. Apparently all those times I talked to the hats about how they’d be popular or they’d help their wearer find success I was actually casting spells onto them unknowingly.”

“Oh, Izuku! I’m so proud of you honey! I know you always wanted your own magical powers!” 

“Yea,” Izuku said smiling. “Thanks Mom.” 

There was a sadness in her eyes, but she didn’t say anything more. She put on a smile.

After another moment of Shouto teasing Izuku about his room full of All Might fanart, and Inko giving them both several hugs each, they were allowed to leave. Izuku was quite embarrassed, but also happy. He didn’t imagine that’s how introducing Shouto to his mother would have gone, but she’d been so supportive of them both and it was nice to make sure she was alright. 

“Well, I’ll have to do some magic to make the space larger. No was we can use that bathroom, so I’ll just expand that room and put in our bathtub and shower from the castle. I like the house, it’s very sweet. We will need to discuss the room arrangements, probably once Momo is with us. It might cost a little to buy the house but I’d say it’s worth it.”

“R-right.” 

“What do you think we’ll sell? I’m sure we’ll figure it out soon-” 

“Shouto?” 

“Hmm?” 

“Why are you giving my mother money?” 

Shouto looked away like he he wouldn’t have to answer the question if Izuku wasn’t looking at him. 

“Well … I … “ He stopped talking and he stood still. Izuku looked over at him as he stared at the ground. “I had initially just been going to check up on her to make sure my father didn’t come back to the hat shop looking for you, but then I saw that she was working herself too hard trying to run the hat shop and I felt bad. I mean if it weren’t for me she wouldn’t be in this mess.” 

“It’s not your fault,” Izuku started. 

“I didn’t curse you, but you got cursed because of me, and that meant you had to leave, so in a way it is my fault.”

“It’s really not!” 

“But I wanted to be able to help her. She … reminded me of my own mother. There was nothing I could do to help my mother when I was a child, and it pained me. I once heard her say that looking at my left side was unsightly, but she would never say that directly to my face. She only ever told me kind things. She said I could use my power for good, and that I didn’t have to be like my father if I didn’t want to. But … I couldn’t use my power to save her from a life with him. She was the one who saved me. I don’t even know what happened to her after I left,” he said as he absentmindedly touched the part of his face where his scar should have been. 

“Shouto, it’s not your fault. You can’t save everyone. Besides, if she let you free I’m sure she would have wanted you to get away from it all.” 

“I know, but she deserves better than my father, and I hope one day I’ll find her. I … want to be able to thank her for all she’s done for me, and to free her from him as well.” 

Izuku came closer to Shouto, and took the hand off of his face and held it with his own. Izuku’s eyes were filled with tears, and Shouto realized so were his own. When had he started crying? 

“Shouto, I promise you that we’ll find her. No matter what, we won’t give up hope of finding your mother. I’ll always be by your side, we can look together.” 

He didn’t know why he felt compelled to say he’d always be by his side. What if Shouto grew tired of him? What if he didn’t want to see him again after they broke his contract and his own curse? He couldn’t bring himself to care about what the future might hold if it wasn’t going to be them together. He realized, he didn’t want to ever leave the wizard’s side. At the end of the day, Shouto was the man he wanted to come home to and embrace. 

_‘It’s because I love you, Shouto,’_ he thought. He opened his mouth, but couldn't say the words. 

“Thank you, Izuku. It’s reassuring to hear you say that.” He pulled Izuku close to his chest and they stayed like that for a moment. Shouto had a hand on the back of Izuku’s head that was planted against his pectorals and Izuku’s own hands were wrapped around his back against his shoulder blades. 

Izuku finally broke the contact. He looked up at Shouto, and pulled out the newly cleaned handkerchief he’d gotten from Iida the other day. He wiped away the wizard’s tears gently, and he caught Shouto’s mismatched eyes staring into his own. 

_‘I love you so much.’_


	12. Where Have I Seen that Hair Before?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouto and Izuku visit the bakery to snoop on Momo's new girlfriend (and get pastries.) A surprise visitor appears at the castle door, but it's not someone or something that Izuku expected to see again. Who is this visitor, and how do they know Shouto's name? 
> 
> (This chapter: Izuku and Shouto go on an unofficial date to a pastry shop and adopt a new pet!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Hope you like this chapter! I leave for Canada tomorrow so I'm unsure how much writing I'll get done, but I will try! 
> 
> Also, it took me 12 chapters to realize that 90% of this fic is just me projecting my own life problems onto my faves and giving them magic! Inko Midoriya is so sweet and I based most of my characterization of her after my own mother. Also if I weren't such a mess of a person maybe Todoroki wouldn't be struggling so much, oh well! You love him anyways!

That afternoon, Izuku took Shouto to the bakery that Momo’s girlfriend, Jirou, worked at. The building was rather small and crowded but they made the line seemed to move quite steadily thanks to the hard work of the Sato’s Bakery employees.

In the back of the building Shouto could see a burly man with a smile on his thick lips placing large trays of baked goods into the oven, while a man with sleek blonde hair brought the finished pastries out into the display. He had a mischievous look in his eyes that made Shouto uncomfortable. Next to him at the display was a woman who was entirely pink, and Shouto found himself wondering what sort of spell gone wrong she had been through to make her look like that. 

At the counter was a skinny man with an unsettlingly large smile who was packaging the pastries for transport by conjuring tape from his elbows. As strange as he magic was, Shouto had to admit it was perfect for the job. He kept turning around to joke with the first cashier, who was a blonde man with a dark brown streak in his hair. He wore the typical uniform of the pastry shop, a pastel pink apron, dark blue dress shirt, and slacks, but he also had a black choker on his neck and some sunglasses tucked into his shirt collar. The final cashier was a woman with dark blueish-purple hair that was about chin length in the front but shorter towards the back and with bangs cropped at her forehead. She wore long dangly earrings that went from the earlobe to her shoulders. 

“There’s so many people here! Which do you think is Momo’s girlfriend? Momo never told me what she looked like other than ‘cute’ but she mentioned her name is Jirou.”

Shouto had to guess it was the woman with the long earrings. He’d seen some of Momo’s crushes before and this girl was definitely her type. She looked like she listened to loud music and would wear leather jackets, but she also looked like she would lend you that jacket if you were cold. 

“Front counter, second register,” Shouto filled him in. 

“What? How do you know? They’re not even wearing name tags! Is … is this a magic trick that allows you to know people’s names?” 

“No, she’s just Momo’s type. I don’t have to be a wizard to know my friend likes girls who look like they would get into a bar fight for her honor.” 

Izuku snickered at that. 

“So what sort of pastries will you get?” 

“I … don’t know.” He looked over the display case full of confections. There were so many options and most of them had french names, so he didn’t know what they meant. They ranged wildly in color, size, flavor, and popularity. There was no easy way to deduce what would be tastiest. 

“I could try and point things out to you, if you’d like!” 

“Please,” whispered Shouto. 

“Well, this one looks like you,” he said pointing at the figure eight shaped cheese and cherry danish. One half of it had red cherries in jam, the other had an ivory colored cream cheese filling. 

“Really? Well this one looks like you,” Shouto retorted pointing at a tiny green dome with a green flower on top of it. 

“Oh those are actually really good! They’re lasted of cake, cream, and jelly covered in marzipan! Mom bought me one for my birthday once.” 

“Do you want one?”

“I … might. Only, there are so many options I’m trying to figure out which one to get. It’s either that or a mini fruit tart.”

“You know you can get multiple things, I don’t mind.” 

Izuku’s face lit up, but then he seemed to consider it more and looked sadder.

“But it’s expensive here and you’re already paying my mom’s rent. You don’t have to spend extra money on me.” 

“What’s the point of making money if I don’t spend it to help others? Izuku you deserve nice things. A couple pastries won’t break the bank so just get what you want.” 

He blushed and muttered an embarrassed ‘thank you.’ Shouto nodded, and took Izuku’s hand in his own casually. He pretended not to notice when Izuku gasped a little at the contact and then smiled. The green haired man tightened his grip on Shouto’s hand and leaned into him with his shoulder. He went back to pointing out pastries. 

“This one doesn’t look like you but they’re delicious. They’re called cream puffs and they make them in a few different flavors here! Then those ones are éclairs. Momo said those are really good here. That is a bear claw, and it’s full of sweet almond stuff. And over there is …” 

Izuku went on naming several things and Shouto found himself spacing out and staring at the man. He could see through the spell and view the other like he was young again. Shouto found watching his face light up as he talked about different sweets was quite cute. His green curls bounced as he talked with his hands trying to describe exactly what each pastry detailed. _‘Adorable,’_ Shouto found himself thinking. 

The other man stopped talking and he realized it was time to decide on what he wanted. 

“Hello, and welcome to Sato’s Bakery. How may I help you today?” 

It was Momo’s girlfriend talking. She didn’t seem too enthusiastic but Shouto didn’t hold it against her. Uraraka has informed him he too had what was known as ‘resting bitch face’ and so he didn’t look all that happy most of the time. He had tried to smile more but it was hard because he didn’t realize when he was and wasn’t smiling. 

“Hello! I’d like a Prinsesstårta as well as a mini fruit tart, and you’ll have …” 

Shouto panicked. 

“We should pick up some éclairs for Yaoyorozu as well,” he informed. 

Izuku beamed. 

“Great idea! Momo loves this place!”

Shouto looked at the employee who was blushing a little. 

“Among other things,” Shouto added. “And I’ll have … a slice of the sponge cake with strawberries.”

“Sure thing,” said Jirou, who wasn’t making eye contact.

“Oh, you’re Momo’s girlfriend, right?” Izuku asked as their total was being rung up. 

“Uhh ... yea,”she muttered quietly.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to embarrass you! I just think you two are really sweet together and I wanted to thank you for making her so happy!”

“Oh … you’re welcome!” There was a small smile on her lips as she told them their total and tape man handed their box of baked goods down. 

“Jirou you have a girlfriend?” The blonde with the sunglasses was injuring. 

“Kanimari, if you don’t let this go I swear-“ 

“Relax! I just think it’s cute. Is that the ponytail girl who keeps coming in and asking for you?” 

She glared at him, but also couldn’t help but smile thinking about her girlfriend. She turned around and gave Shouto his change, and they were on their way. 

They walked out of the crowded bakery and into the streets of Market Chipping which were fairly empty now. Shouto turned to lead them into an alleyway that was deserted, and prepared their teleportation spell. Izuku closed his eyes and when he opened them again he was standing in the main room of the castle. 

Shouto took the pastry box from him and set it on the table before he fetched forks and plates. Izuku didn’t hesitate before he took a forkful of desert and pressed it to the wizards lips.

“It’s for you, open up!” 

Shouto opened his mouth and watched Izuku smile as he fed him a bit of marzipan covered cake and jelly. It was so much better than Shouto had hoped for, and he couldn’t resist a smile of his own. 

“Is it good?” 

Izuku was looking on expectantly, but Shouto wasn’t having it. _‘Two can play at this game, Izuku.’_

“I don’t know,” lied Shouto as he took a forkful with his own utensil and held it up for Izuku to try. “You tell me.” 

Izuku blushes and took the cake in his mouth. He hummed in delight, and smiled. There was a bit of cream and jelly still on his lip. It was endearing, Shouto determined. The green haired man noticed Shoutos staring and realized he had missed some of the food. He licked his lips, and Shouto pretended not to notice. 

Izuku offered another bite to Shouto and so they went on like that for a while until they heard Shinsou groaning about having to watch them feed each other pastries for an hour. Shouto was well aware it hadn’t been an hour, but he had to admit it would take them far too long to eat if they kept it up. They swapped forks and finished the food like that. They still had the fruit tart and the sponge cake for later. When Momo got home she could have her Éclair. 

“Thanks for coming with me, Izuku.” 

“Are you kidding? Thanks for taking me to see my mom and getting pastries with me. I had a wonderful day!” 

Shouto smiles at the excitement in the others voice. It was nice to see him so happy. After what had happened the other day with his father, he was worried he might not see that smile again so soon. Evidently, he’d underestimated the man’s powerful optimism. He could smile thought anything. _‘Just like All Might,’_ he reminded himself. This was probably part of why he idolised the famous wizard so much. 

With that, he retreated upstairs. As he went up the stairs he removed the magic that covered his scar and hair and went back to looking how he did naturally. He figured he would practice some spells or plan the castle’s upcoming move, but instead he fell asleep to thoughts of green hair, rough hands, and wide smiles. 

 

・・・・・

 

With Shouto upstairs, Izuku was left to daydream and reflect on the day they’d had. It was almost like a date, which made his heart flutter and his cheeks blush. At least for once in his life he didn’t cry despite the strong emotions he felt. He kept thinking about holding Shouto’s hand and his mother telling him that she’d support him no matter who he loved. He sighed contentedly. 

Then there was a scratching at the door. His heart started to flutter in a much less pleasant way. He looked to Shinsou, with pleading eyes. 

“Please tell me it’s not the All Might Scarecrow again?”

“No, this things is scratching at the Kingsbury door, and it’s flesh and blood. It’s not Endeavor either, this thing seems to walk on four legs. I don’t think it means us any harm.” 

Izuku quickly dismissed the idea of Endeavor shapeshifting into something to trick him into letting him in the house. The sooner they moved that door the safer Izuku would feel. He would miss Uraraka, but with Endeavor out there looking for them he couldn’t see her now anyways. Maybe Shouto could prepare a teleportations spell to see her some time?

As he went to check the door he grabbed his stick just in case. As he opened it cautiously there was no angry man with red hair or scarecrow with a permanent smile, instead all he saw was a quick grey blur push past him and into the house. It was a tall thin borzoi, with a shiny silver coat. It walked right in and sat down on its hind legs, staring right at Izuku. 

“Shinsou, what is a dog doing here?” 

“Beats me,” the demon muttered helpfully. 

The dog leaned back on the hind legs and raised its front legs in the air. There was a flash of light and the dog’s form started to warp, twisting around the light and distorting. When the light cleared standing before him was a tall woman with long silver hair and a kind smile. She was elegant and beautiful, but there was so much sadness in her pale grey eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but evidently getting words out was very difficult for her in this state. 

“Your friend ... she sent me to you … told me to stay … worried … please …” It was evident that she was having trouble keeping her human form, and Izuku realized it must have taken an incredible amount of magical power just to manage it for the short time she had. Was she a powerful wizard like Shouto and All Might were? She was starting to revert, the bright light starting to envelop her again. She managed another sentence. “Please … don’t tell Shouto.” 

With that, the woman turned into a siberian husky of the same silvery color that her hair had been. Izuku realized he’d seen two other dogs of the same color before. The dog he’d rescued in the wastes had been grey, and so had the dog he’d run after when he was visiting Uraraka. Each had been a different breed of dog, but there was no mistaking that they were one being. 

“Oh gosh,” Izuku muttered. “You must have a worse curse than I do! You poor thing. I bet I know who cast it too, but I wonder why?” 

The dog looked up at him with that obliviously happy look that dogs always gave when someone scratched behind their ears. Her tail wagged and she panted as she circled around Izuku. He looked over at Shinsou who also seemed confused at the display. 

“Huh,” was all the demon had to comment. 

“Do you think we can break her spell? I don’t know who she is, but she certainly seems like she wants to help and … she knows Shouto somehow?” 

Who was this woman? Izuku had never seen her before but here was something familiar about her he could quite place. How did she know the wizard? 

“I don’t think I can break it by myself, I’d need to combine my power with Todoroki’s. It’s definitely another one of Endeavor’s spells, and it’s very powerful.” 

“I don’t think I could help out then.” 

“Magic is all about your belief in yourself. If you don’t believe you can do it you won’t be able to. Izuku, you’re a capable young man. You never know what you can accomplish of until you give it a shot.” 

Izuku decided to suck up his doubts and insecurities and try it anyways. He’d been having people tell him he was incapable of things as long as he could remember, and here he had someone believing in him. Shinsou thought he could do it, and this woman needed his help, he couldn’t let them down! 

He knelt down and the dog looked it in the eyes. That same sadeness was there, and he focused on that. He thought about all the people he loved who’d shown that same sadness in their eyes, and how he wished he could take it away and leave only joy behind. He thought of All Might using his magic to save people with a smile. He thought about Shouto, and Iida, and Uraraka, and his mother.

Izuku smiled at her, and with the most reassurance he could muster he spoke. 

“You’re going to be alright. I’ll take this spell off you, and you’ll be human again permanently. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” 

He closed his eyes and tried to focus all his energy into the creature, but when he opened them again he still saw a dog in front of him. She barked, and licked his hand as a thank you for the effort. 

“I … couldn’t do it.” 

“It’s okay, you tried your best,” the demon assured him.

“I’ll find a way to break your spell, I promise.” 

 

・・・・・

 

Shouto woke up from his nap at hearing a knock on the door. There was a little whining noise, and he heard Izuku mutter ‘hush, you’ before knocking again and calling out. 

“Shouto? Are you awake?” 

“Yea ... I’m up. You can come in,” he answered.

“I think I decided what we should sell in the shop,” he said, entering the room. As he opened the door an elegant looking siberian husky nosed its way past him and got up on the bed with Shouto, startling him. 

“Since when do we have a dog?” 

“Well she-” he’d been about to tell the truth but cut himself off. Izuku knew the dog woman wanted to remain anonymous. “She needed a new home and I thought, we take in strays here, why not. You’re going to expand the new apartment anyways, so enough room isn’t an issue.” 

“Mhm,” he hummed doubtfully. 

There was clearly some magical energy to the dog, and Izuku was obviously lying to him. He trusted Izuku, so he was sure he had a good reason to lie. He’d probably find out the truth eventually. The magic around the dog appeared to be another one of his father’s spells, but it was even more complex than the one that Izuku was under and it was hard to tell what had been done to the creature. Some type of transfiguration? Who or what had the dog been before?

The dog approached Shouto and leaned its head on his lap while her body lay to the side on the bed. He found himself subconsciously petting the dog, who seemed happy with the contact. He’d never had a pet before, unless you counted Shinsou. His father didn’t know the definition of fun, and had forbidden pets claiming they were a waste of time. When Shouto suggested getting a magical familiar his father threw a tantrum about how those were just a tool for weak wizards to rely on, and his son would be stronger than that. _‘Well, looks like I have one anyways. Thanks, Dad,’_ he thought spitefully. 

The dog whined at him, and it occurred to him Izuku had referred to the creature as ‘she.’ 

“Does she have a name?” 

“Um, no I didn’t ask her that.” 

Well that was suspicious. Why would he ask a dog its name and expect an answer? Even using some sort of Ouija board wouldn’t work, you’d just get gibberish letters if anything. 

“Hmm, well what should we call her then? I don’t want to disrespect her wishes, but if she won’t tell us her name we can’t just keep calling her ‘that dog’ can we?” 

“Why not? I think Dog is a fine name.” 

Shouto rolled his eyes. There was clearly something he was missing, but either Izuku didn’t know the creatures true name or he didn’t want Shouto to know it. Hopefully, it was the prior. 

“Nice to meet you, Dog,” he whispered to the creature who had closed its eyes as it rested on him. She was very sweet. He was a little glad he didn’t have a pet while he still lived with his father. Who knows what tragedies would have befallen it in the hands of Endeavor. He’d keep this creature safe. 

The dog twitched in her sleep, and he soothed her with gentle pats and hushes. He noticed he was smiling as he did so.

“You’re very kind to animals.” 

“You’re quite the animal lover yourself, Izuku. I’m not letting you live down that you caught a live rabbit and wanted to name it All Might. We’re lucky you didn’t name this one as well.” 

“Hey! I’m never letting you near my mom again if you two are just going to gossip about me!”

“We only tease you because we care,” he assured. He’d almost said they did it out of love, but was afraid that would be too on the nose. 

He wasn’t sure how honest he was ready to be about his feelings for Izuku. Of course, he loved him. He’d told himself, and he’d told Uraraka. He was sure Inko had noticed from the looks she kept giving him, and the way she made sure to walk on the other side of Izuku so that the two boys would be next to each other. Weren’t you supposed to meet the parents after you start dating? Shouto never was good at these things. 

“Oh, I forgot, I came to tell you what we should sell in the shop,” said Izuku, interrupting his thoughts. 

“And what is that?” 

“We should sell flowers!” 

“Flowers?” 

“Yes!” 

“How did you come up with that idea?” 

“It was always one of my favorite parts of making hats, putting the little silk or wax flowers on them. Plus, I’ve always loved plants.” 

“They’d probably like you as well. You’re very green, they might think you’re one of them,” Shouto deadpanned. 

“W-was that a joke? Shouto you’re making jokes!” 

“No, why would I be joking?” 

“Stop it, I know you’re being funny, you can’t hide it!” 

“Fine. So a flower shop it is then.” 

Izuku nodded. 

“We’ll have to find a place to get flowers from. A nice field or something. We can grow some of our own as well.”

“Maybe I can talk magic into the plants!” 

“That would be great,” he agreed. 

There was a silent moment between the two where they just enjoyed being around each other. Shouto was still in bed, and Izuku joined him on the side the dog wasn’t resting on. She snored in her sleep quietly and the two boys found it quite endearing. 

“I’m going to be here a while. I can’t bring myself to move her off my lap and stand up.”

“And they say you’re heartless,” Izuku chided. 

Shouto frowned. He literally was heartless. That organ now resided in the hearth of the castle with Shinsou, after the contract they had struck up years ago. He couldn’t say that to Izuku, so he just didn’t defend himself. 

“I keep thinking … about the verses of my father’s spell.” 

“Which part? ‘Tell me where all past years are?’” 

“No, I’ve known that one for a long time. All of our years are exactly where we left them, and I could hop around then all I want. Maybe I’ve done that and that’s why I have so many problems in my life.” 

“No, I think your problems are mostly your father’s doing.” 

“I have nearly every line completed, I’m only waiting on three more things before it’s all true.” 

“Only three?” 

Shouto nodded grimly. 

“The mandrake root, the mermaids singing, and finding ‘what wind serves to advance an honest mind.’ All of the rest happened long ago. The running, the white hairs, never finding a person true or fair.”

“I suppose that last part is about your past relationships?” 

He nodded again. 

“It’s not that I haven’t tried. I’ve been searching forever, but I did bring this on myself,” Shouto explained, not making eye contact. “I made a bargain a long time ago and now it seems I’ll never be able to love anyone properly.” 

He supposed that was why he was afraid of admitting his feelings to Izuku. He’d only ruin this relationship the same way he’d ruined all the ones before, right? None of his previous relationships ever felt this way. There was certainly something special about Izuku, but without a heart he knew it was destined to fail. It had been nagging at the back of his mind this whole time. _‘You deserve someone who can actually love you, and I can’t be that person. I’m sorry.’_

He hadn’t realized he was crying until he felt a calloused finger cupping his cheek and wiping away the tear. The kind and loving look Izuku was giving him only made it worse, and he started crying harder. _‘Stop, don’t let him see you like this,’_ he told himself, but Izuku wasn’t going away and part of Shouto was glad he was here to comfort him. He wanted to pull the other man closer, and thank him for being there to comfort him yet again. 

He had never talked about the bargain aloud, since directly talking about it with others was forbidden. Admitting it had let out a whole string of emotions he hadn’t known he’d buried. 

The dog on his other side started to lick his tears away, and he imagined the scene looked so silly he couldn’t help but laugh. It didn’t help that the dog’s tongue tickled his skin. She climbed onto his lap and licked his face more, until he couldn't help but smile at the creature’s persistent affection. 

“Okay! I get it! Please stop!” 

The dog stepped off of him and circled around to lay with her head on his lap once more. He was starting to like this dog, he had to admit. He tried to wipe the tears and dog saliva onto his shirt sleeve, and noticed Izuku smiling at him. It didn’t hurt as much to look at this time. 

“It’s okay to cry, Shouto.” 

“Thank you, Izuku,” he whispered. 

He looked at the man in front of him and knew he loved him, despite the warning signs that it would only end with him breaking Izuku’s heart. What would hurt him more, a seemingly unrequited crush or a relationship that was doomed to fail? And what would hurt Shouto more, forcing himself to pretend he didn’t love this man or watching him ruin everything they’d built together? He knew that the latter of each was more harmful, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. 

He looked at Izuku and he saw a future. It wasn’t like the past, the future wasn’t a tangible place he could go to aside from taking the long way to it. The future was an idea that he could only dream of and hope it worked out the way he wanted. He knew there were a million futures out there, but he knew in at least one that he and Izuku had a chance to be happy together, and maybe that chance would make this whole thing worth it. 

“I’ll let you get back to resting, it’s getting late.” 

“Right. Tomorrow we move into the new apartment. Are you ready?” 

“No, but if I waited to be ready before I did things I’d get nothing done.”

Shouto knew he meant the apartment, but he took it to heart. He wasn’t ready for a relationship, and he was so afraid to ruin this one too, but he couldn’t wait forever. Eventually, he had to admit it to Izuku that he loved him, whether he was ready for it or not. 

“Goodnight, Izuku,” he called after the other man. 

“Goodnight, Shouto,” he whispered back.


	13. A Hero Always Has A Trick Up Their Sleeves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku learns about a secret. It's not a bad secret, and he thinks the implications of it are quite good, but he knows he must reveal the truth to Shouto ... only he gets distracted from this mission when Shouto is discovered by the Wizard of the Wastes while on his way home. Will Izuku be able to ensure their safe return? Or will the secret stay hidden forever?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for no updates yesterday! It's been taking a while to edit this chapter, and I've been in and out of internet service all day because I'm traveling through Nova Scotia! I hope this chapter makes sense, I don't think I'm very good at writing action/fight scenes!

Izuku woke up that next morning to the sound of a pen scratching against parchment. After all the notes he’d taken in his short lifetime, this sound was like an old friend to him. He opened his eyes to the morning light and found that Shouto was already up and making preparations for the castle’s move later that day. He had a large piece of parchment on the table and a quill in hand that he was using to draw out a map of how he planned to change the apartment. The dog was asleep at his feet, this time as an English Sheepdog. It seemed she hadn’t left his side since the night before, which made Izuku wonder why she didn’t want him to know who she was. 

Izuku got closer to look at the map before them. From what he could see, Shouto was planning to expand all of the apartment rooms and add a third bedroom in so Izuku no longer had to sleep under the stairs. Izuku was grateful for that, but he also would have preferred sharing a bed with Shouto instead. He wanted to say so, but stopped himself. He still wasn’t sure what they were exactly. They weren’t a couple, but could they be one in the future? 

His thoughts returned to the near kiss experience they’d had the other night. He was still confused as to why the wizard pulled away from him at the last moment, and wasn’t sure they’d get an opportunity like that again. In that instance, it had felt so right to kiss him, but what was holding Shouto back? 

He got up and went over to the wizard and peered over his shoulder. He had clearly been lost in thought and didn’t notice Izuku approach. When he felt Izuku’s hand on his back he startled, making Izuku recoil his hand. 

“Oh, it’s you. Sorry, I didn’t know you were awake,” said Shouto sleepily. 

“I just woke up … how long have you been here?” 

“Well, I’ve been drawing this diagram for about two hours, but before that I was awake thinking about it. I got too much sleep during my impromptu nap yesterday so I woke up early and couldn’t fall back to sleep. It seemed like the right time to start working on the modifications to the new apartment. You … don’t mind that I’m going to change your home do you?”

“No. It’s our home now. As long as you don’t get rid of my All Might collection we’re fine, Shouto.”

That made Shouto smile, and Izuku considered this a win on his part. 

“I need to go get some materials for these spells. The wastes and Kingsbury doors are compromised, but Porthaven is still hidden so if I go to a shop near there I’ll be fine. It’s a bit of a trek, so I might be gone a while.” 

This worried Izuku. As a child his mother always worried about people being gone too long after what happened to her husband. She’d spent years watching the door, and he’s spent years watching her. It seemed he’d developed that same fear of abandonment, as they both waited for someone they knew wasn’t ever coming back. 

He didn’t want to do the same waiting for Shouto to return. With Endeavor out there, if something happened how long would it take for them to find out? He hated the idea that Shouto could be in trouble and he would just be there waiting, with no way to help. 

“Maybe I should go with you,” he suggested hopefully. 

“It’s a long walk, I don’t want you exhausting yourself. I’ll be fine on my own, promise.” 

Shouto didn’t understand Izuku’s fear, and he didn’t notice it at first. It wasn’t until Izuku’s brows furrowed and those big eyes showed signs of watering that the man’s offer donned on him. 

“At least wear a disguise,” Izuku begged. “Your father hasn’t found us yet, but he’s looking everywhere I’m sure.” 

“Right,” Shouto agreed, trying his best to take izuku’s feelings into account despite not understanding them. “It couldn’t hurt.” 

He moved a hand in front of his face and his hair grew darker as the color faded out of it. It was now a dark grey mess that fell in front of Shouto’s eyes and concealed his scar. Two strands of white hair remained, framing his face. The rest of the hair was in a bun at the back of the man’s head, or falling out of it. He waved the hand over the rest of his body and the white tunic and he usually wore turned into a dress shirt with rolled up sleeves and a tight black vest. Izuku coudn’t help but admire the way the clothing clung to Shouto’s form but he liked the man’s usual look better.

Hoping Izuku was satisfied, Shouto got up to walk towards the door. Izuku was looking on worriedly, and the dog woman rushed over to Shouto, and brushed against him pleadingly. Evidently she and Izuku were on the same page. They both had a gut feeling that this wouldn’t go well. 

Shouto pet her on the head and squatted down to be on her level. He looked her in the eyes, and scratched behind her ear. 

“Don’t worry you two,” he addressed them both. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

With that, Shouto left. The door shut behind him, leaving a silence that none of them were ready to break. Shinso noticed the heavy feeling ominating from the two and pretended not to have noticed anything so he didn’t have to mention it. Finally, the dog started to whine, and sat down by the door to wait. 

“I don’t know who he is to you, but you clearly care about him at least as much as I do. I hope he’s going to be alright,” Izuku sighed. 

She looked up at him with pleading eyes, and Izuku wondered how long she had been like this. She was evidently human, and only transformed into a dog by a curse much like his own. He suspected that she had been transformed into a dog a little before their first encounter in the wastes. 

She was still watching the door diligently, and Izuku realized he was doing the same. No, he wouldn’t just wait around all day staring at the door and worrying like his mother. He could get something done today and before he knew it Shouto would be home. _‘I’ll feel silly for every worrying when he comes home unharmed,’_ Izuku told himself.

“I suppose I should make myself useful or else I’ll spend all morning worrying about him.” 

It occured to Izuku that he had no clue how this move would work. They were moving to a new physical location, so there was no point in cleaning up. How would their things get to the apartment? Should he pack his things in a satchel for them to carry over? Should he box things up for convenience? But then, they couldn’t physically carry all their things to Market Chipping, could they? So there had to be a magical way to transport everything, which explained why Shouto hadn’t packed anything up and why-

He was saying this outloud. He only realized because the dog woman was prodding him in the leg and Shinsou was rolling his eyes and groaning. 

The demon spoke up. 

“Izuku, you can just ask when you want me to explain these things.” 

“Oh …” 

“Todoroki is going to come back and draw up chalk notes all over the castle, then once all of that is complete he will remove me from the hearth and the place you’re in right now will become the inside of the apartment. You don’t have to do any packing or moving, it’s all magic and chalk circles.”

It saved a lot of time moving things back and forth, Izuku noted. With this in mind he didn’t bother tidying up around the place. Instead he went up to Shouto’s room to see if any other clothes needed mending. The dog woman accompanied him upstairs. 

Most of his jackets were some shade of blue, and he had to admit the color looked nice on Shouto. It made his blue and grey eyes pop. He also noticed his green suit jacket they’d bought to go to the palace had been mended completely with magic. He smiled, and said a quiet thank you to the wizard, as if he would hear it somehow. 

The other jackets were in varying conditions. Some had large rips, while others only had small tears, and others were barely holding themselves together. The blue jacket that the wizard usually wore was in prime condition, and so Izuku ignored that. The white one with the blue collar was already fixed, thanks to his own hands.

He sat down on Shouto’s comfy bed and made a pile of clothing to mend before the day was through. Hopefully he’d only get through a few before Shouto got back. This time instead of saying his jackets would attract people, Izuku said other nice things. To a particularly soft nightshirt, he said it would bring Shouto good dreams and fight off harmful memories. He told a pair of socks that they had to keep his feet dry, no matter what. He asked a pair of silver earrings to give the wizard self assurance as he polished them. 

It was after so many articles and accessories mended and cared for that he saw a light forming behind him. He turned see the woman who was also a dog starting to transform into her human form. She sat on the bed next to him, and put a hand on his shoulder. Izuku couldn’t help but think she had a rich look about her. She had a silver necklace that was hidden by her sweater and a layered grey skirt that went down below her knees. She dressed like someone he’d see in Kingsbury, not someone who spent most of their time as a dog wandering around the wastes.

She looked him in the eyes and that sadness was still there. He had so many questions, but he knew she only had so much time in this form so he let her say what she needed to first. 

“Shouto should be back by now.”

It was a full sentence this time, unlike the pauses she’d had to take before. The words were still very hurried. He would ask about that afterwards. 

“I know, I’m worried too, but is there anything we can do about it?” 

“I don’t know. Be ready to help him. He may need it.” 

“I will. How are you talking in full sentences now?” 

“I was tired from getting to the castle before. I used a lot of magic to make it here.” 

“Oh I see. You seem very powerful, how come I don’t know about you? You’re not a famous wizard are you?” 

“Most people don’t know me.” 

“What’s your name?” 

She hesitated. 

“You can tell me, I won’t judge you for it. I’m just curious. You can still stay here no matter what you say.” 

She sighed heavily, and prepared herself for what came next. 

“My name is Rei.” 

It wasn’t a name he knew anyone by, but clearly that name had to mean something to Shouto if she was so troubled to say it. There was some history between the two he wasn’t grasping.

“Why don’t you want Shouto to know who you are? You clearly care about him.”

“It would make him sad.”

“Why? How can you be sure?” 

“I hurt him. He said he would save me, but I injured him and sent him away. I wanted him to have a better life than what he was given.”

It suddenly clicked to Izuku why she looked so familiar. Who else had Shouto had he wanted to save? He should have seen the resemblance sooner, with her grey hair and eyes just like Shouto’s own right side. 

“You’re his mother.” 

It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. She nodded sadly, looking away from Izuku. There were tears in her eyes, and he noticed himself start to cry as well. He could sense her time in this form was coming to a close, and he struggled to get out everything he could say while she could still respond.

“Wait,” he pleaded. “He isn’t mad, I promise! Shouto misses you, he’s been looking for you! I … I can’t keep this a secret from him. I’m sorry, he deserves to know.” 

“Are you sure he’s not upset? I imagine seeing me will bring up painful memories for him either way.” 

“He’s sad that he couldn’t save you, and you were out of reach. But you’re here now! We will find a way to break this spell, I promise! But I need to tell him about this, I can’t hide it. I owe him that much.” 

“You care deeply for my son,” she stated. The tears fell from her eyes. “You love him, don’t you?”

“I … I do.” 

She kept crying, but she was smiling softly.

“I’ve always tried to protect my son. I love him very much, which is why I had to keep him away from his father. He didn’t want to leave me behind, but I made him do it anyways. He’s never had a lot of people in his corner, and I worried that would be the same even after he left yet ... here you are. If He was to meet anyone who would take care of him, I’m glad it was you.”

She placed a hand on Izuku’s cheek. It was soft and comforting, like the way Shouto had been after the encounter with Endeavor the other day. It was evident that while Endeavor trained Shouto in his magical abilities, it was Rei who had the largest impact on her son. In her, Izuku saw the same softness that he saw in the man he loved. They had both been through so much at the hands of Endeavor and that made them guarded, but behind their walls they were just as caring as he was. . 

“We’ll both take care of him, together,” Izuku assured her. 

With that, the light grew brighter and she reverted into the form of yet another dog. This time she was a great dane. She came over to Izuku’s lap and rested her head there while Izuku formulated a plan on how to tell Shouto. He was glad to have met Rei. It seemed everyone in this house, despite their different backgrounds and identities, were all here to make sure the wizard was safe. Rei would be happy to know that Shouto didn’t only have the two of them in his corner, but many more as well. He had Momo, Shinsou, Inko, and Uraraka all looking out for him and hoping he was alright. Izuku was sure, in that instance, that everything would turn out just fine.

 

・・・・・

 

Later that day Izuku was sitting in the main room next to the fireplace. Rei was resting at the base of his chair and taking a well deserved nap. He was sure she was tired after maintaining a human form. Meanwhile Izuku was reading one of the many books that Shouto had around the room. A few weeks back he had organized them all into bookshelves that Momo had kindly made. This book was on transfiguration, and he thought he might be able to use the information in it to help Rei or maybe even himself. If he could manage to break her curse he was sure Shouto would be overjoyed to have her back and safe. 

They were sitting like that waiting for Shouto to come home, when they heard the disembdied voice of the man in question echoing through the castle’s room.

“He’s found me, Shinsou! Brace yourself,” he warned. 

Shouto was trying not the let the fear show in his voice. He put on a brave act, not wanting his father to know the effect he had. Izuku couldn’t let Shouto suffer this alone. He had to do something, whatever he could do to help!

He turned to the demon to ask how close Shouto was, but the demon seemed preoccupied. He tossed and turned in the hearth, his shape transforming to different variations of his usual self. His purple hue shifted through shades of orange, blue, and even white. The demon was fighting some invisible force, evidently. 

“Shinsou, are you alright?”

“I can’t talk right now!” 

He looked behind him to make sure Rei was alright. She looked scared, but nonetheless she started to scratch at the door. She had the same idea Izuku had. Only he couldn’t risk Endeavor finding her as well as Shouto. He had to keep her inside where it was safe.

Momo ran down the stairs, and drew two cloaks from the closet, and threw one to Izuku. She drew her own around her and suddenly she looked like a woman in her twenties or thirties who was going out for a night on the town. Her hair was done up to make it look massive, while her eyes were hidden behind sunglasses. She had a golden necklace and a magenta dress with a layered skirt and lace up ankle boots. She had on white gloves, and a parasol to her side. She looked like she belonged in Kingsbury, not Porthaven where they were going. 

“These are disguises Todoroki and I use to go to festivals in Kingsbury sometimes. They’re not ideal, but we can’t have Endeavor recognizing us out there. Put yours on. It was designed with Todoroki in mind, but it changes from person to person so it should find something to suit you. We don’t have time to waste, come on!” 

Izuku drew his own robe, and found himself as a man about the same age as Momo. He had slicked back hair and a goatee. His brows were far too close together and he felt uncomfortable. He had a blue blazer on, but the shirt underneath was a low cut purple tunic and the locket around his neck was now a gold chain that hung close to the shirt’s collar. He didn’t have time to think of how silly he looked in this outfit, he had to go make sure Shouto was alright. 

The duo ran towards the door to Porthaven, and Rei tried to follow them, but Izuku stopped her. 

“If I let you out there, what if Endeavor sees you? I can’t risk losing you and Shouto. I promise I will bring him back.” 

He hurried out the door before Rei could follow. He was sure she didn’t want to be out here with her husband on the loose anyways, but her desire to care for her son outweighed her own need for safety. Izuku couldn’t help but feel he was no better. It seemed they both were willing to put themselves through harm to protect those they cared about. 

The streets of Porthaven were bustling with people running away or staring up at the sky. There was panic and commotion, and Izuku was thankful that everyone was too preoccupied to notice them as they snuck out into the street. 

“Look, up there!” Momo pointed to what everyone else was looking at in the sky. Dark clouds were forming overhead and heading over towards the harbor. They were black and horrid looking, and Izuku soon realized they weren’t clouds at all, but plumes of smoke. _Is Endeavor causing this?’_

He didn’t wait around hoping to find out. Momo grabbed his hand and they ran towards the waterfront where the smoke clouds were speeding towards. The tendrils and plumes of black smoke were all leading out past the harbor wall and above the water, where they swirled into a tight vortex. suddenly Shouto flew out of the smoke. He’d evidently dropped the disguise after being found out, and hi shair was back to its natural half white half red color. He was coughing and covering his mouth with his sleeve. The smoke must have been suffocating, and even from a distance he could see the pained look on the wizards face. 

The smoke cleared enough to reveal Endeavor, shrouded in flames. Shouto hid his anguish upon seeing his father. The only readable look on his face was anger. He launched shards of ice from his hands as he dodged balls of fire that his father shot at him. The two fighting wizards soared through the sky, launching elemental rage towards the other while making evasive maneuvers. 

Izuku knew that Shouto had ice and fire powers, but he was only relying on the magic that his mother had passed down to him. Trying to fight intense fire attacks with ice wasn’t going to work. The heat melted the ice and until was only water, which evaporated. He seemed to hope that a relentless flury of ice attacks would eventually wear down on the man or maybe he’d get in a sneak attack. The tactic was his only option if he was only using his ice power.

After trying to dodge for so long, one of the fireballs managed to graze Shouto’s side, and he clutched at the ribs it had collided against. He tried to regain his focus but got hit in the side of the head by another one and flew backwards towards the water. He was falling, and didn’t seem to be conscious, both of which worried Izuku to no end. Either the fall would hurt him, his father would get him, or he would drown. 

“We need to catch him!”

Izuku wished Uraraka we’re here. With her power this would be no problem. She would make herself float and then reach out for Shouto to do the same for him. He was sure Uraraka would be much more useful than himself in this situation. She’d been right to send Rei to them, but Izuku selfishly wished she had joined them as well. 

“How are we supposed to do that?” Momo asked.

 _‘Think, Izuku, think,’_ he commanded himself.

He didn’t have any real powers that could help in the situation, and by the time Momo made something it would be too late. There had to be something they could do. Then he remembered what Aizawa had said about his stick. He had talked so much magic into it, it was a magic wand essentially. There had to be a way for him to use it here, didn’t there? 

“Stick, I need you to fly me over to him! Please!”

At that, the stick started to rise off the ground. He didn’t think he had the upper body strength to hold onto the stick and Shouto, so he sat on the stick and tried to balance. He remembered watching wizards ride broomsticks as a child. He had a whole chapter in his notebooks dedicated to the art. It was a well respected wizard tradition that he admired, even though he’d never thought he would be able to do it himself. _You can do this!_

He barely kept his balance at first, but what he lacked in strength he made up for with persistence and sheer determination. The stick was barely long enough for him to wrap his legs around and he held onto the rest of the it with his hands. It certainly wasn’t graceful, but it seemed functional. The wind in his face knocked the hood off his disguise, but Izuku didn’t have time to care.

The stick soared towards where Shouto was falling. As he approached, Izuku removed his hands from the stick and and stretched them out to grab the falling wizard. His right hand caught onto Shouto’s shirt, and the force of his fall started dragging Izuku down as well. 

He hadn’t planned it through, and he found intense pain shoot through his shoulder. He nearly dropped Shouto, and his shirt started to rip, but he managed to use his other arm to pull him up and hold onto him by wrapping his arms around his waist instead. His right shoulder felt hard to move, and when he did move it there was a shapr pain. With the adrenaline in his body he managed to ignore it in favor of keeping Shouto in his grip. 

The shore was in sight, and he looked behind him to see Endeavor who looked shocked that someone had come to his sons rescue. When he realized who it was and the flames around his face flared up. He started to shoot after them, but at that moment Shouto opened his eyes and read the situation. He created a wall of ice that blocked the path behind them. 

They were momentarily concealed, and before Endeavor could break through it or melt it Shouto created a double of himself and Izuku. The double whizzed around the corner and flew away, seemingly trying to stay hidden but being obvious enough about it that Endeavor might see. He took the bait. And tried to chase after the double. Meanwhile Shouto and Izuku hid in an alleyway to assess the damage for a moment.

They landed in a less than graceful manner. He dropped Shouto from his arm with the injured shoulder just as the stick gave up flying all of a sudden, causing him fall to the ground and roll a couple feet. Shouto got up and scrambled towards him. 

“Izuku! Are you alright? Why did you do that?”

“You were defenseless. I couldn’t let you fight him alone,” Izuku said, as he pushed himself up from the dirt street. He struggled to get up, the arm he leaned on giving out beneath him. He hoped Shouto hadn’t noticed but the wizard came over to checked on the injuries anyways. Izuku’s shoulder was evidently either bruised or dislocated, the arm he’d landed on was certainly broken, and some of his fingers might have been sprained. 

“You’re injured, let me try and heal it.”

“There’s no time for that, and think about your own injuries!” 

“It’s nothing,” he played it off but Izuku knew he had to be in pain from the fireballs that hit him and there was a little blood dripping down the side of his head. Izuku almost didn’t notice it there, since it was on the side of his head that had red hair anyways. When Shouto saw him glancing at it he turned hia head to the side casually trying to hide his injuries.

“Shouto you can’t win a fight like this, he’s too strong!”

“I know. He’s stronger than I remembered and his fire overpowers my ice.” 

“Then use your own fire-“

“Izuku, I won’t use my father’s power. When I left I swore I’d become a powerful wizard with just my ice. His power … it only hurts people.” 

“Shouto, if you don’t use it you’ll die!” 

“I’ll find a way to survive, don’t worry.” 

He shot Izuku his best comforting smile, but his eyes betrayed what he felt. They looked sad and a little scared. He wasn’t sure if Shouto was trying to convince him, or himself. Neither was good. Did he even have a plan?

“He’s giving it his all, he’s using all his power to try and capture you. You can’t expect ice alone to be able to save you, you have to give it your all as well!” 

“Going all out with my fire is exactly what my father wants. Every time he’s tried to find me he’s hoping to get me to use his fire power and be just like him. When I was young, he told me that if he couldn’t surpass All Might as the greatest wizard that he’d make me into someone who could. I never wanted any of it, not fame or glory or competing. It wasn’t ever my choice. He forced my mother to marry him and he forced me to become a powerful wizard so I would hurt people just like he does. If I give in to the pressure and use fire, he wins.” 

“But you’re not using his power Shouto.”

“I-Izuku you don’t understand-“

“Shouto, you’re nothing like him. Just because he uses this power to hurt people doesn’t mean you can’t use it to protect them! Whatever he trained you to do doesn’t encompass all you can achieve, Shouto. Just because he’s your father doesn’t give him any right to you. That fire inside of you is your own and he can’t control you anymore! I promise I won’t let him get you, but you have to fight.”

Izuku was sobbing as he spoke. It wasn’t from the pain of dislocating his shoulder or his fingers, not even from the fear he felt. He was crying for Shouto. He wanted to make him see … 

“But … if I use his-”

“You need to stop thinking about it as something that belongs to him! It’s your power!”

Shouto froze. Those words … he’d heard them before. He remembered sad grey eyes comforting him after days training with his father, and soft hands tending to his wounds. He thought about his mother, and his oath to protect her. She had told him, that he didn’t have to be what his father wanted him to be. _‘She said … I didn’t have to hurt anyone. I didn’t have to follow his orders. Mom … you told me I could use my magic to be a hero. How could I forget?_

“Izuku, you’re right. I can’t let him hurt anyone else, I have to stop him with …. with all of my abilities. Put your hood back up and get to the castle, I’ll keep my father away and come back when I’m done.”

“Shouto-“ 

“I can’t defeat him in a fair fight, but I can’t let him go on like this. With both my fire and my ice, and a few other tricks, I’ll draw him away.” 

“Shouto.”

“What is it?” 

“Please,” Izuku sobbed. “Be careful out there. I can’t lose you.”

The look in Izuku’s eyes broke the empty space where Shoutos heart should have been, and he drew closer to the other. He pulled Izuku close and held him tight. He was careful not to touch the injured arm or shoulder, which happened to be on completely different sides of his body. His hand rested on the back of Izuku’s head and he gently stroked his hair. Izuku leaned into him, and wrapped the arm he could move around the man’s back to pull him closer. 

“I’ll come back, I promise.”

The wizard pulled away and then lept into the air above the alleyway and rooftops. Izuku watched until he was out of sight, and then ran to find Momo again. He pulled up the hood of his cloak as he left the alley. 

Momo was further down the street frantically looking for him and Shouto. She didn’t dare call out their names, because Endeavor knew them both. 

“Over here!” He yelled to her and waved his arms so she would see. She spotted the green haired man and ran over.

“Izuku are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he lied. 

“I saw you and Shouto fly in the other direction. Just when Endeavor was about to get you, the illusion vanished and two more reappeared somewhere else. Endeavor has figured out that the flying ones of you two aren’t real, so he’s been shooting them down until he finds the right one.”

“Shouto said he wants us to leave so we’ll be safe while he fights his father.” 

“And will you leave?” 

“Of course not!”

“Understood, but your arm is broken in at least one place,” she pointed out. 

She started to create something that she pulled out of her arm. It was a splint. She patched him up as efficiently as she could and then the duo ran to watch the battle. 

Shouto was surrounded by flames and ice and shot both at his father rapidly. Evidently his father and he could be hurt by each other's fire, but managed to control the flames that touched their own skin in a way that it wouldn’t hurt. Izuku noticed but was too worried about the man he loved to be thinking about studying magic at the moment. They were far away, but Endeavor’s voice was loud enough that Izuku could just barely hear the words he was saying. 

“You’ve finally decided to use your fire? Yet you don’t come back to me. Why?”

Shouto sprayed a jet of blue flames at his father in response, and dodged to the side as the man hurled fireballs back at him. He chuckled. 

“It’s that hatter boy that’s keeping you here isn’t it? He’s holding you back. You don’t need him, Shouto! I can teach you how to control your fire properly. This is a pathetic display, boy.” 

Shouto appeared to his father’s right and threw a spike of ice, then to his left and there fire. He was using illusions to make it seem like he was many places at once. Izuku couldn’t tell which, if any, was the real Shouto. 

“I’m not being held back,” said one Shouto. Another duplicate started up where he left off. “I’m better off for being away from you, and Izuku is helping me realize just how true that is.”

Endeavor shot a jet of flames around him in a circle, hoping that he would hit the illusions and the real Shouto would reveal himself, but the young wizard had enough control over the illusory duplicates that they all reacted the same way. He’d given nothing away, and this just went to make his father madder. 

Shouto shot back with a surprise ice attack from behind that covered his father’s hand. The man immediately started to melt it off, but in that time another Shouto hit him with a spray of blue fire. Evidently only one of the duplicates at a time could attack, and he could either move them as a group or one at a time. There were about five of them, and which was impressive for someone whos magical focus wasn’t in duplication. Wizards who specialized in this field could control countless duplicates at will and move them all as if they were the original. Shouto’s were just a trick he’d picked up. They weren’t entirely tangible, and if something touched them they faded away into thin air. They could move one at a time, or as a whole group. 

Unfortunately, Izuku wasn’t the only one who’d observed this much about the duplicates. As one of the Shoutos fired off an attack, Endeavor dodged it and fired at a different one, and Shouto didn’t realize fast enough to move it out of the way. Izuku was about to shout a warning, but stopped himself knowing it would only make him a target and that would make it harder for Shouto to draw the wizard away from Porthaven. 

A ball of fire flew right through it, and it faded away to nothing. Now there were four Shoutos. He tried to continue evading the assault, but now that Endeavor had figured out the trick he was relentlessly throwing flames at his opponent. It was reckless, since each time he threw it there was a chance it was the real one. They went down one by one, until there was just the one Shouto left. 

With only one left, Endeavor stopped his assault, and instead readied a large attack that he used as a threat. Meanwhile, Shouto was half shrouded in flames and his other side was forming ice in his hands, ready to go at an instant. They’d come to a stalemate. Shouto had no duplicates left, but that made it easier for him to focus on his own movements, and thus he was more dangerous. Meanwhile, Endeavor had taken out the fake Shoutos but now he only had the real one to attack and he couldn’t be as deadly with his attacks. Both had powerful attacks ready to go any moment, but neither was moving. They waited to see what the other would go for. 

“That boy you’re seeing will only prolonging the inevitable, just like your duplicates here. The outcome is decided, so there’s no point in fighting your destiny. Shouto, this foolish rebellion isn’t doing you any good. You’re not being properly trained, and you’re getting sloppy.”

Was he really trying to persuade him, or was he only talking to get Shouto to drop his guard. Then Izuku realized an equally terrifying third possibility. What if he was distracting him? What if the fire wasn’t all he had planned. Izuku looked around to see if Endeavor had any allies nearby. Maybe that Dabi guy from earlier was waiting in the shadows? 

“Are you upset I’m not going to surpass All Might?” 

Why was Shouto responding to him? Did he not realize this was probably a trap? No, Shouto was smart. He had to know something was wrong. Izuku realized why Shouto was dignifying his father with a response. He was trying to get information out of him. His father wasn’t exactly an idiot. He was manipulative, and scheming, and that was far more dangerous than any other sort of maliciousness. Still, he was proud, and that was his flaw. How much would Shouto convince him to give away before he was figured out?

“I’m sure you’ve realized by now that man is out of the picture, Shouto. It’s not how I wanted to surpass him, I wanted to destroy him in fair combat, but his protections on several cities in the nation were keeping me from finding you. Plus, I’m sure you noticed the King has taken a liking to you in his absence.”

“I don’t care about the King. I’m declining the offer to become Royal Wizard, sorry,” he spat. 

“You’re squandering your potential. It’s no use though, once the spell is complete you’ll see the error in your ways.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” 

“Didn’t you realize what the final line of the curse meant? I know it was delivered to you, and I’m sure you’ve read it. ‘Thou, when thou returnest, wilt tell me,’ couldn’t be more obvious, Shouto.”

“So what, I’ll return home and just suddenly not hate you?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” the man grinned. It wasn’t the same strained smile he’d given Izuku, but a toothy and confident smile, like he knew how close to coming true the curse was. He probably did know. 

Izuku realized that Shouto wasn’t going to get any more informations, and he was sure Shouto did as well. In that moment Endeavor fired off the powerful attack he’d been preparing, and Shouto used his fire to propel himself out of the way of it, and started to fly away. Endeavor started to chase after him, and Izuku found himself nearly biting his nails. The young wizard flew close to the surface of the water and took evasive maneuvers to avoid the attacks his father hurled at him. With the water close by, he had something physical to hold any ice he created. When his father’s attacks got too close he would raise a wall of ice to block them.

How far away did Shouto plan to run before he tried to lose his father? Was it possible for him to ditch the man at all? Not knowing Shouto’s plan left him on edge, and so it wasn’t surprising that he nearly jumped off the sea wall when he felt a hand on his back. He yelped and turned around, unsure what to expect. 

Of all the sights to see, he hadn’t expected to see Shouto standing right there. He did a double take, looking from the Shouto he saw flying off in the distance to the one before him. This was evidently the real one. He was wearing a large hooded cloak that was covered in holes and smelled like fish. It was evident this was someone’s cloak they wore to protect themself while out fishing in harsh weather. The wizard took it off and tossed it into a nearby boat. 

“So this means Endeavor is just chasing the world’s most convincing fake?” Izuku had been watching closely and even he was fooled. “But how did you get away?”

“I can make myself invisible, but only for about thirty seconds. When I was creating duplicates I made myself disappear while making fake versions of myself appear, but made sure to play it like one of them was the real me. I seem to have convinced him that final one is real, and it’s a bit distracting trying to maintain the ruse especially where it’s getting further away, but by the time he figures it out we’ll be long gone.”

Momo looked at the blood that was dried on the side of Shouto’s head, as well as the singes on his side, and several other bruises he’d acquired during the fight. Then she looked over at Izuku’s broken arm, dislocated shoulder, and fractured fingers. 

“I’m glad you’re okay, but we have to get you two back to the castle to heal up immediately.”

“You’re right,” muttered Izuku. “We’re both sort fo a mess, aren’t we Shouto?” 

“My injuries aren’t too bad, I’ll heal you first. I don’t know how you broke so many bones in such a short time.” 

They headed back to the castle without any further incidents. Shouto offered to carry Izuku, since he was hurt, but he swore it was ‘fine’ and ‘this happens a lot.’ On top of that, he wasn’t sure if Shouto had received any head injuries when that second fireball hit him, and he didn’t want to risk it. Izuku had a head injury once as a child and he remembered the doctors telling him not do any heavy lifting for about a month afterwards. 

He found his eyes kept wandering back to the wizard’s face as they closed the short distance between the shores of Porthaven and the castle’s Porthaven door. Despite the trouble they’d gone through and the injuries they’d received, Shouto looked happy. He smiled at Momo and Izuku. 

“Thank you both for coming to my rescue. I … hadn’t wanted either of you in danger, so I didn’t ask for help but if you hadn’t shown up I don’t think I’d have made it home today.” 

“Todoroki,” Momo started. “A good friend of mine recently showed me that there’s no shame in asking other people for help. If you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders alone you’ll be crushed, but if it’s spread out among multiple shoulders the load might just be bearable. We’re all here for you, and even if you don’t ask us to we are going to help you, so you might as well ask for our help in the future.” 

Izuku realized that he was the friend who’d convinced her it was alright to ask for help, and he was happy to see her thinking about that and taking it to heart. She was progressing so much, and he was so proud! 

“You’re right, Momo and I owe you both an apology. Especially you, izuku. Maybe if I hadn’t tried to do this on my own you wouldn't have been hurt.” 

“Shouto, what’s done is done. All you can do is rely on us in the future, but for now all is forgiven.” 

Shouto smiled sadly at him, and that look suddenly reminded Izuku of the events that had unfolded that morning. He remembered Rei, and how she would be in the house. He couldn’t let Shouto go any longer without knowing his mother was with them. He saw Shouto’s hand reaching for the doorknob, and he put his own on top of it. 

“Wait, before we go in there’s something I have to tell you.”

“Izuku, is now really the time?” His face was red, and he was thinking Izuku would go a completely different route with this confession. “We should talk about this inside, there’s not telling when my father will be back.” 

“No, it’s not that! It’s your-” 

He pulled the door open just then, and the view that Shouto saw made him freeze. His eyes were wide, and his expression unreadable. His hand on the doorknob started to shake, and he gasped audibly. He was evidently in shock. He could only manage a single word sentence, and it was all he needed to say as he stared at the woman who sat by the fire in their home. She was looking right at him with a fearful look in her grey eyes that mirrored his own. Tears started to well in his eyes, and he started to cry again.

“Mother?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter wasn't too boring. I promise we'll get to some big emotional developments next time! And Shouto finally gets to see his mom again, yay! And they're gonna actually move into the new house! So stay tuned for some emotions, fluff, and domestic stuff!


	14. Broken Bones and Soft Touches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouto's mother is home, but he isn't sure why or how she got there. On top of that, he and Izuku are still injured and have to treat their injuries. Plus ... Izuku decides to ask Shouto something he should have asked a dozen chapters prior!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I wrote too much for just one chapter so I'm cutting this off before they move the castle. That WILL be next chapter. I can guarantee because I've already written a lot of it, I just have to edit it which is the real work. Anyways, they don't move but I think you'll all be happy with how this chapter ends ヾ(- ∀・*)

Shouto Todoroki hadn’t seen his mother since he was twelve years old, when she’d cast a protection spell on him. It left him free from any of his father’s spells and allowed him to evade the man’s detection for years. It was his first protection spell, and his first chance at a life free from his father’s torment.

Protection spells were far from simple, and took a strong wizard to perform, and an even stronger one to get right. The protection spell Shouto had given to Izuku when they first met was a minor one, and so there was little risk in the spell going wrong. At worst he might have gotten a tiny scar where Shouto’s lips had touched his skin, but it was unlikely. Minor protection spells required no material components, only strong will and intent. Major protection spells required ingredients which changed depending on the type. he more powerful the force someone needed protection from, the more higher the cost. The one that Shouto was granted required boiling water to be poured over the subject. His mother was a gifted Ice wizard, and while protection spells weren’t her specialty she managed to keep the damage to a minimum. At least, that was how Shouto saw it. 

Based on the scared look she wore now, sitting across the room from him all of a sudden, he wondered exactly how she had felt about the spell. She looked at him like she didn’t know how he’d react to seeing her, and it made him sad. That fear in her eyes was how he used to look at his father when she would defend her son. How could she think he’d ever have anything but love for her?

“Mother?” 

He felt hot tears forming in his eyes as he looked at his mother. He wanted to run over to her and hug her, but that fear in her eyes said he should move into this conversation slowly. He walked over to her and knelt next to her chair so they would be at the same level. She smiled at him, but there were tears in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak.

“Shouto, my baby boy. You’re all grown up.”

He felt the tears starting to roll down his cheeks. How many times had he cried this week? It must have been more than he’d cried in the past year. He didn’t like to cry, and when he did have to do it he tried to do it in the solitude of his room. But ... maybe it was alright to cry? He didn’t have to bottle up his emotions and release them only when he was alone. He knew his mother wouldn't judge him for that the way his father had. He was sure Izuku at least would support his tears, with his own abundant tear ducts. Still, his mother’s presence raised more questions than he could articulate.

“I don’t understand,” he bagen. “How did you get here?” 

“It’s been a long journey, you should sit and I’ll explain as much as I can in the time that I have.”

“What do you mean, ‘In the time that I have?’ Mother are you alright?”

“I’m under a curse, andIi can only maintain this form for so long. Izuku knows the whole thing and can tell you later, for now I must tell you the parts he doesn’t know.” 

“Go on,” Shouto said taking her hand. “I’m listening.”

“It all started after I sent you away. Your father was obviously upset, but after his initial rage he dedicated his time to finding you again and making you a proper successor. Every time he got close to finding a plan that worked I’d find a way to sabotage him. It worked and I was subtle enough about it that he didn’t realize it was me until recently. It was fine until he found a curse not too long ago that he swore would work. Of course, I tried to destroy it but he caught me. He said I was a traitor,so he turned me into a creature that would ‘understand loyalty’ as he put it. Of course, I have always understood loyalty. I have always been loyal to you, Shouto.”

“How did you escape?”

“Even in my cursed form I found ways to hinder him. He got increasingly frustrated and eventually he told his assistant that he never wanted to see me again. This man took me out into the Wastes and tied me to a stick probably hoping I would starve. I thought I was done for until Izuku rescued me.”

Shoutos eyes widened, both in disgust at how his mother had been treated and surprise that the two had met before. Shouto looked over to the other man.

“It seems I can’t thank you enough, Izuku.” 

“Well,” Izuku defended. “I didn’t know who you were of course! I thought you were a normal dog who someone had abandoned and I couldn’t stand by while that happened so I set you free. It’s nothing special, it’s just common decency.”

“Your kindness is far from common,” she said with a kind smile. “You are a caring person, and I wouldn’t be here today without your help. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said despite his own feelings that he hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary. 

“So, after I was set free,” she continued, “I ran and I ran, unsure exactly where to go. I knew your father’s plan had involved All Might, but I when I got to Kingsbury I found out the man had gone missing already. I started to wander the streets looking for clues to lead me to you, but instead I was found by two girls your age who said they were wizards in training and hoped their teacher could break my spell.”

“That just be Uraraka and her girlfriend,” noted Izuku. 

Rei nodded in confirmation. 

“They brought me to Thirteen who tried but couldn’t help me. I thought all was lost until one day Shouto came through the door.” She turned to her son. “You were pretending to be someone else but I knew it was you and I tried to get close but Thirteen thought I was threatening you and locked me inside the house. One day I escaped, only to be caught by someone. It was Izuku again!”

“I remember that,” Shouto admitted. “I saw Izuku and a large grey dog, but you both left before I could talk to you.” 

Izuku blushed, remembering how he’d gone home crying because he thought Shouto was dating his best friend. What a mess! He wasn’t any less of a mess recently, but it was still so embarrassing to remember.

“After that I started to try and maintain a human form so I could speak with Uraraka. I told her that I was your mother, Shouto, and that Izuku had rescued me. She knew you both, so I trusted her. She made the call to send me to the castle after you both stopped showing up to visit. She was worried something bad had happened and saw no other way to safely tell you who I was.” 

“Then you came here and I didn’t know who you were. I’m sorry mother, I should have known-“

“No, Shouto. I was afraid to tell you my identity. After all the pain I caused you and after I sent you away, I was afraid you might be upset with me. I decided it would be best to just make sure you were safe anonymously, until Izuku told me I should confess.”

“I could never be mad at you,” he assured her and he squeezed her hand gently. “I only ever wanted to save you.”

“I know you did, Shouto. It’s not too late.” 

“I’ll find a way to break your curse, I promise.” 

“I know you want to break my curse Shouto, but it’s seems nearly everyone here is under some sort of magical guise. My curse is inconvenient, but I have plentiful time to solve it. I can’t say the same for you and Izuku. Your curses take priority, so break those first and then think about how to save your mother.”

Momo gasped. 

“What do you mean they don’t have time? What curses are you talking about?” 

“I suppose I’ve told your secrets for the both of you, I apologize. Neither of them can talk about their conditions, and so they couldn’t tell you, Momo.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize what you were both going through,” Momo said up. “That doesn’t mean I won’t be here to help you every step of the way. If there is any way I can make things easier on any of you, don’t be afraid to mention it. Still, the first step to breaking these curses should be treating toe injuries before they get any worse.” 

“Injuries?” Rei looked concerned, and started looking over her child. She covered her mouth and gasped lightly as she saw the blood on Shoutos head and the scorch marks that burned his clothing. 

“It’s nothing, Mom. Don’t worry.” 

“It’s not nothing, Todoroki,” Momo scolded. “I know you want to see your mother, but we she’s not going anywhere and I’m sure she needs to rest after maintaining a human form for so long anyways. For now I need both of you to go in the bathroom and I’ll do my best to heal what I can.” 

“Momo,” Shouto sighed. “I know healing magic, I’ll take care of Izuku and then-“ 

“Are you going to heal your own injuries? I don’t think so.”

Rei giggles at her, and offered a thank you smile to the young apprentice for looking after her son. 

“I feel better knowing my son is in such capable hands. I should turn back now, but just know that I am thankful for all of you for caring about him just as much as I do. I was so afraid that when I sent him out that here he would be alone, but the more I get to know you all the better I feel about that decision. And Shouto, I am so impressed with you and everything you’ve accomplished. I only ever wanted you to be given a chance to move on with your life and be who you wanted. You’re doing wonderfully and I’m glad I am here to see it firsthand. I love you, my son.” 

Shouto looked up at her and couldn’t control the tears from falling down his face as he pulled his mother close and hugged her. He looked like a child who was hugging their parents as they left for the day, pleading with them not to go. He was unusually vulnerable, and Izuku felt like he was intruding on the moment by looking on. It was something between the two of them that had been six years in the making. 

“I love you too, Mother.” 

He broke the hug and gave her room to transform back into her other form. This time she was an Irish Wolfhound. 

With that concluded, the gang moved into the bathroom. Shouto was thankful he’d made the room so large, otherwise fitting three people and a dog inside might have been rough. He thought to himself that maybe they he should make the bathroom in the apartment even larger, or maybe add in a second one. Their family seemed to be getting larger and larger. 

He sat on the side of the bathtub while Momo stood above him. She created some hair clips and used them to pin his loose hairs back enough to access the damages. The injured area was purple with bruises and had some burn marks as well. It had been bleeding earlier, but now was only covered in dried blood. She started to create some bandages which she handed to Shouto to hold. 

“Izuku bring me that purple potion on the right side of the vanity.” He brought it over without hesitation, though he could only reach with one arm. “I’ll get to your injuries in a moment, but a head injury takes priority over broken bones.”

“I’m more than okay with you healing Shouto first,” Izuku assured her. He didn’t want to watch Shouto in pain, even if he was pretending it didn’t hurt. 

She started to spread the purple salve around the side of his head, but only got so far before she met his hairline. It owuldn’t spread through the thick red hair. She sighed deeply, and conjured up a pair of scissor.

“W-what are you doing with those?” 

Shoutos eyes were wide and he scrambled to move away but Momo grabbed the collar of his shirt to keep him near. He couldn’t get free from her death grip. 

“This is the only way. Your hair is stopping the spread of the healing salve.” 

“Please-“ 

“I know you can grow more hair, either with magic or just with time. What’s worse, having a bad hair day or having a brain injury from neglecting your wounds?” 

He sighed in defeat. There was no winning this argument with her, and he knew she wouldn’t let him leave until she knew the healing salve had done its work. He stood still as she severed the strands of red hair, getting as close to the scalp as she could. He grimaced, imagining his hair with a large missing chunk. When she pulled away Shouto looked in the mirror and saw how choppy and uneven the cut was. There was no way he was letting it stay like that. The side was partly shaved, but not even in a way that looked nice.

She got a warm washcloth and removed any loose hairs, dirt, or blood that might have remained before she continued with the salve. Taking the bandages from Shoutos hands, she applied them to the area in question. 

He had worn bandages like this before after the spell that caused him his scar, but since then he’d only neede minor spells to heal any injuries he received. He only had to mutter something and it would be better in a while. This injury was too serious to heal that sort of magic, and was even too far gone to heal with one treatment of the salve. He’d have to reapply it again the following day and maybe a few days after. That meant all the more time until his hair could be grown out again. 

Finally, Momo was done treating his head injuries. She started to remove his shirt to treat the side burn, but he put a hand over the buttons to stop her.

“I can treat this later, Yaoyorozu. I’m going to heal Izuku’s bones now, if that’s alright.”

“Oh … sure.”

It was evident that she didn’t want to leave this injury to his treatment. She trusted his healing abilities, but didn’t trust him to remember to heal it when he was done with Izuku. 

“Can you check on Shinsou and make sure he’s okay? I wasn’t the only one fighting someone powerful, and I need to know he’ll be alright.”

“Of course.” 

She went outside and Rei took one last look at her son before she left as well. She understood that the two of them needed to be alone, without a mother silently watching over them. Then it was just the two of them sitting in the bathroom. Izuku was on the lid of the toilet seat and Shouto was still balanded on the bathtub side. The wizard got up and moved over to the other man. 

“It’s okay, Shouto,” he assured him. “If you want to heal your side wound first I don’t mind.” 

“I’ll live,” Shouto retorted. Izuku was almost sure it was a joke, but he don’t find it funny. “I need to see your full arm and shoulder, so this shirt is going to have to come off.”

Shouto was leaning over him with a knee resting beside Izuku’s own legs. He started to unbutton Izuku’s shirt which caused Izuku to become quite flustered. How could he not be embarrassed when a beautiful wizard was practically on his lap as he slowly took off his shirt? Izuku would have loved this if it weren’t for the context of his arm being broken. 

As Shouto got to the last button and gently pushed the shirt off him, izuku was surprised to see just how bad his body looked. His shoulder was only a little swollen, where his other arm was black and blue from the hard landing he’d taken. The broken bone made his arm sit in a way that seemed unnatural, and his fingers were bent out of shape. He winced at the sight, and Shouto noticed the look. 

“This is why I’m treating your injuries first,” he explained. “Momo was right to give you a splint, but without magic this will take weeks maybe months to heal. Luckily, I have a potion that will work for you.”  
Shouto removed the leg that was next to Izuku and walked to the vanity where he opened a drawer containing several vials. How many different healing potions did SHouto have? Izuku wondered if the man got injured a lot, or if he just never threw out a potion he made. Did they expire? Or were they useful until they ran out? 

Shouto came back with the potion in hand and leaned over Izuku once again. He poured the solution over Izuku's whole arm and the other man was shocked when he noticed all of the bruises disappear immediately. Shoutos hands went to support the broken part of the arm and there was a light glowing on his palms. Izuku felt his bones starting to heal and join back together. It felt like growing pains or wisdom teeth coming in, and he found himself clenching his teeth to endure it, but it was over after about ten seconds. He found he was out of breath and suddenly felt tired. 

“What … what was that?” Izuku was panting as he tried to speak.

“I met a wizard once who specialized in healing magic. I trained with her for a few weeks and she taught me the few healing tricks that I know. She also gave me one of these, that I’ve been saving for a rainy day. None of my healing potions have ever been as good as hers.” 

“I’m sorry … that you … had to waste it ... on me.” 

“Shh, you needed it. I don’t care. Just take a moment to catch your breath. It takes a lot out of you because it drains your stamina in order to heal you quicker.” 

“Okay,” Izuku sighed. He nearly fell over, but Shouto caught him and set him upright. 

“I used it all up on the arm and fingers, but there’s slower magic that I can use on your shoulder. What exactly happened there?” 

“I pulled it when I caught you midair.” 

“I was wondering how you managed to catch me. That also explains the rips in my shirt and why my armpits feel sore. The shirt being pulled suddenly probably caused some friction burns.” He realized that Izuku would probably feel bad after that analysis. “But there would be injuries of some sort no matter where you caught me. Thank you for rushing your life to save me, Izuku.”

“It was no problem,” the man yawned.

“I may have used too much of that potion. You shouldn’t be this tired.”

“No! I’m totally awake,” Izuku argued trying to keep his eyes open. 

Shouto chuckled at the sight. It was … cute? Sweet? Endearing? 

“Hold still for a moment,” he said as he propped Izuku up with one arm and drew circular patterns on his shoulder with the other. He whispered and channeled energy into it. The swelling went down and the pain lessened, but he would need to do another round before it healed all the way.

“Is it over?” 

“All done. You did great,” he assured him. 

“Yay,” whispered Izuku. He was practically talking in his sleep. There was no way this man was getting to his bed on his own. Shouto picked him up, and started to carry him. The sleepy man in his arms snuggled closer, and Shouto could feel the warmth of his skin. It felt nice, and he almost didn’t want to put him down. 

Still, he owed it to Izuku to let him sleep in a real bed. He tried to put him down, but the man whined. 

“I’m just putting you in bed, don’t worry.” 

“Shouto, can I sleep with you again tonight?”

“What?”

“If my injuries get worse, it’ll be good to have you there just in case. Defiantly no other reason I want to sleep with you.” 

Izuku was a terrible liar, he remembered. He was god awful at it when he was sleepy. Still, there was no reason to say no. Shouto had admittedly felt lonely without him. 

“Alright,” he obliged.

“Thank you.” 

He looked over to see his mother looking at them. She pretended not to be looking when Shouto noticed her. He opened his mouth to explain but she just rubbed up against him and went to sit by the fireplace. It was her way of showing support. 

He carried Izuku upstairs and gently laid him down on the bed. As he leaned over, his ribs hurt him and he remembered his own injuries. He made sure Izuku was set up with pillows and blankets before he went back downstairs to get his own healing completed and to get ready for bed. 

 

・・・・・

 

Izuku woke up later than night in Shouto’s bed and he remembered asking the wizard to let him sleep there. He was shirtless, and he was still wearing his slacks from earlier. As much as he wanted to stay there in Shoutos warm bed forever, he knew he had to go shower and change or else he couldn’t fall asleep again. 

He got up and went downstairs to gather his nightshirt and pajama pants as well as a towel. He quickly washed up and brushed his teeth. Before returning to their shared bed, he checked himself over for damages. The potion Shouto hadb used on him completely healed his hand and arm, leaving only his shoulder with a little pain. He didn’t have any bruises or scratches anymore. It was impressive. Where was Shouto during all his childhood injuries? Izuku knew the answer to that, but ignored it. 

He got changed into his pajamas and dried his hair before heading out of the bathroom. He tiptoed back up the stairs and crawled into bed next to Shouto. Izuku told himself to close his eyes and sleep again but then … how could he sleep when the moonlight shining into the room made Shouto look so beautiful? 

The bandages were pressed into his pillow, and the light shone gently on his soft face and long eyelashes. His lips were slightly apart and soft sleepy noises were escaping every now and then. Izuku decided there was no harm in getting a little closer. He scooted over and leaned his head against the man’s outstretched arm. There, that was inconspicuous, right? But then Shouto shifted a little in his sleep. 

“Izuku, what are you doing?” 

“Nothing! I was just- um- I was getting back in bed and you were- I just-“ 

Shouto sleepily put a finger up to Izuku’s lips, not being awake enough to properly say ‘it’s okay stop rambling.’ 

“Izuku if you wanted to get closer, you can. I certainly don’t mind.”

His heartbeat picked. Was it really alright to get closer? Was Shouto fine with him sleeping in the same bed as him and being right next to him? There was only one way to find out.

He moved his head from resting on Shouto’s arm to resting against the shoulder it was attached to. Shouto shifted slightly, so Izuku’s Head fell instead pressed against his chest. He felt an arm wrap around him, and pull him flush against the others body. _‘Oh my god,’_ thought Izuku a she realized. _‘Shouto Todoroki is a sleepy cuddler!’_

“Is this alright?” 

“This is great,” Izuku admitted. 

He took in the feeling of the wizard’s body pressed against his own. He was delightfully muscular, to the point that Izuku considered it unfair. He hummed a little as he leaned closer. Now it was perfect. 

“Goodnight, Izuku.” 

“Wait, before you go to sleep again I was wondering …” 

He’d been thinking about what he overheard that evening. Shouto’s father said something about the spell, and Izuku had realized he still didn’t know much about it. 

“What is it?”

“Shouto, what is the final effect of the spell your father cast on you?”

He grumbled a little, evidently not enjoying the subject matter. He shifted so his hand went to Izuku’s hair and he started absentmindedly fiddling with it. 

“You know how it says all the commands, and then it says ‘when though returns to me?’ It means that once it is all over I have to return to my father. I don’t like thinking about the implications of it.” 

“I was afraid of that,” Izuku whispered dejectedly. 

“Don’t worry about it, Izuku. All I have to do is avoid two more things and we’ll be fine. I just won’t go to any supply shops that sell mandrake.” 

“I don’t think that’s how it works- wait only two more?” 

“Didn’t you notice the mermaids in Porthaven while I was fighting my father?”

“There was a lot going on.” 

“They were disturbed by the ice and fire that kept falling into the ocean. They were singing. I’m almost positive that was fulfilment of the line from the curse, especially with my father there. But, Izuku, I don’t really want to talk about it right now.” 

“Is there a time you would want to talk about it?” 

“I prefer not thinking about it at all.” 

“Shouto-“ 

“Please,” the Wizard pleased softly as he ran his hands through the soft curls of Izuku’s hair. 

Izuku wanted to push it further, but knew better. He pressed his face further into Shoutos chest and snuggled closer. 

“Alright.” 

“Thank you,” Shouto whispered. There was such relief in his voice that Izuku almost felt bad for asking in the first place. 

“It’s the least I can do for the man who’s letting me share his bed,” Izuku teased. 

“Go to sleep Izuku.” 

Izuku tried to think of something to say back, but was too sleepy to argue with that. His eyelids got heavy and he found Shouto’s pectorals to be quite the comfortable pillow. He would never go back to feather pillows again, he swore. With that he drifted out of consciousness again. He only had pleasant dreams, thankfully.

 

・・・・・

 

That next morning Izuku was thankful to wake up before Shouto. The man next to him was evidently fast asleep as his arms had loosened around Izuku and when the green haired man moved away he didn’t even register it. Izuku looked over at the way the sunlight caught in his hair and made it shimmer like diamonds and rubies respectively. He also checked to make sure the bandages that Momo had applied were still there. 

With that Izuku decided to do what he had traditionally done every morning before he’d come to love with Shouto. He was always the first to rise in his household and so he would go to the kitchen and prepare breakfast for his mother before going to wake her up. He hoped Shouto would stay asleep a little longer for this plan to work. 

In his old house all he’d have to do was light the stove, but here he had to wake up the fire so they could get cooking. He repeatedly whispered Shinsou’s name until the demon begrudgingly woke up and helped Izuku cook some eggs and pancakes. He made four plates worth of food. Rei’s plate had only eggs, since Izuku wasn’t sure if dogs were supposed to eat pancakes or not. The rest had pancakes with a dollop of butter and syrup as well as a side of scrambled eggs. He let the fire demon eat the egg shells and any pancakes he accidentally burned. Then he made sure Rei got her breakfast and took the other plates upstairs in an impressive balancing act. He dropped of Momo’s plate first and she seemed grateful in her sleepy state to have a fresh hot breakfast to eat. 

Next Izuku took the last two plates into Shouto’s room, and opened the door quietly trying not to wake him up until he absolutely had to. He sat on his side of the cozy bed and looked over at the lump of blankets that was Shouto Todoroki. His hair was a mess, he’d evidently tossed in his sleep after Izuku had left, and he found himself wondering if there was a correlation. Rather than thinking about those implications, he gently shook the wizard’s shoulder until his eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Izuku. He was evidently disoriended. He looked at Izuku, then at the food, and then back to Izuku again. 

“What is this?” 

“It’s breakfast in bed!”

“Why would you eat breakfast in bed? We have a table?” 

“That’s not the point! Have you never had breakfast in bed?” He looked at Shouto who shook his head. “Well, it’s just a fun thing to do. I used to wake up early and make my mother breakfast in bed a lot, and it was just a nice way to let her sleep in and not have to get out of bed. I figured you’d like it since your bed is very comfy and you deserve a little rest and relaxation.” 

“I see .... thank you, Izuku.” 

He smiled softly. It was clear he didn’t quite get the appeal of breakfast in bed yet, but he understood the significance it had to Izuku, and that was enough to make it special for him. 

“You’re welcome,” Izuku said as he shoved a forkful of pancakes into his mouth. 

They ate breakfast together and Shouto later admitted to Izuku that it was a nice idea, and he was glad to be introduced to it. It made Izuku imagine them doing this more often. He could wake up early and make breakfast for them all and then he and Shouto could sit together under the covers and just enjoy the morning without worrying about the many things that were stressful in their lives. In Shouto’s company safe in this room, it was like all the curses and spells and people out there who would abuse their power were gone. It was just the two of them out of reach from everything else. It had to end eventually, but Izuku closed his eyes and rested his head on Shouto’s shoulder to take the feeling in while he still could. 

He felt soft lips press against his forehead, and he opened his eyes to see Shouto smiling at him. Shouto’s smiles were always so small and subtle, the corners of his mouth moved ever so slightly upwards, but it changed his whole appearance. He seemed softer and younger than he was when he was looking normally. Izuku felt happy every time he caught these subtle changes, but he was even happier with the kiss he’d just recieved. He looked up at Shouto with wonder, unsure what to make of it. 

“Shouto … what are we?” 

That smile faded, and the wizard looked nervous. He too seemed unsure of how to define their relationship. Shouto broke eye contact and started fiddling with his hands. Izuku put his own hand on top of Shouto’s to try and calm him down. 

“It’s alright, you don’t have to answer. I just … I like us … whatever we are. I like sharing a bed with you and falling asleep pressed against you, and I liked that kiss. You clearly like it too, so I’m not sure why you’re so hesitant about it all, but if you need time to figure yourself out I’m willing to wait for you.” 

Shouto looked at Izuku in shock. Izuku knew there was something holding him back, but he knew people didn’t change overnight. Whatever it was that Shouto didn’t know how to articulate, Izuku would give him time to figure out what to say. He’d be there by his side when he was ready. 

“That’s not fair to you, Izuku. You deserve better. You deserve someone who’s not afraid to let you close, someone who will put up fewer walls.” 

“Shouto, given everything in your life I think you’re doing really well with being open. You’re trying your best, and that’s all I can ask of you.”

Izuku punctuated his sentence with a kiss to the cheek, which distracted Shouto from the argument he’d been about to make about how he was incapable of love, and he didn’t want to break Izuku’s heart. Izuku didn’t want to hear it. He knew that Shouto was just going to be be too hard on himself whatever he said. Shouto opened his mouth to talk again, but Izuku cut him off.

“You’re all I want, Shouto. I don’t care that you don’t think you’re perfect. I wouldn’t have you any other way.” 

Shouto was still surprised by what Izuku said, unable to really grasp the idea of someone loving him that way. He’d had plenty of people who were infatuated with him, and plenty who claimed to love him, but Izuku’s words were back with action and he could tell that his feelings were real. He sighed, but smiled a little when he saw the hopeful gaze he was being given by the other. 

“I’ll try to keep what you said in mind. I’ve always had an anxiety about relationships and I’m afraid of messing this up, Izuku. I feel like with these things I can never get it right, and something is telling me that this is doomed … but I don’t want it to be. There’s a million ways I could with this go wrong, but there are some ways that we can get it right. I’m willing to try and find those ways with you.”

“Thank you, Shouto,” said Izuku softly as he leaned into the man to give him a hug. 

They broke the hug and Izuku found himself staring at Shouto’s lips. It was alright to kiss them now. There was nothing holding him back. He could finally lean over, and he could finally press his own lips against-

He suddenly stopped. Shouto had put a hand on his chest to stop him. _‘If he’s not ready for that it’s alright. I’ll be patient with him.’_

“Izuku, I really do want to kiss you right now but I’m not about to let our first kiss happen before I’ve brushed my teeth this morning.” He looked embarrassed. “Once my morning breath is gone we can kiss.” 

Izuku giggled at how serious Shouto was taking the whole thing. 

“Go brush your teeth then! I can’t wait another minute.”

Shouto obliged and went to the bathroom downstairs. Izuku awkwardly waited in the room they had shared. He took this moment to overthink the whole kiss they were about to have. He hadn’t actually kissed anyone seriously before. He’d kissed people on the lips, but it was only briefly and he didn’t do it frequently. What if Shouto wanted to use tongue? Shout was probably a great kisser, and Izuku worried he would just be awkward. What if he had bad breath from the pancakes and eggs? What if-

The door to the bedroom opened again and Shouto came in to sit next to him on the bed. He looked at him with mismatched eyes that gave Izuku chills. Shouto brought his hand up to cup the side of Izuku’s head, while the other wrapped at the small of his back and pulled him closer. Shouto looked into his eyes to make sure Izuku was still alright with the kiss. The other nodded and Shouto brought them both closer as Izuku’s eyes fluttered shut. He leaned forward slowly, with Shouto’s hand guiding him closer and closer. Izuku found his anxiety rising, but he focused instead on the hands on his body. _‘It’s going to be fine. It’s Shouto, after all!’_

Then he felt the wizard’s soft lips press against his own. They were so light they could have been feathers. Izuku felt the other’s lips part and move against his own, so he mirrored the movements as Shouto’s hand on his back guided his body closer as well. To Izuku’s relief and disappointment, there was no tongue, but as Shouto pulled away from the kiss he gently bit at Izuku’s lower lip causing him to gasp gently and shiver.

Drunk on the feeling of kissing the man he loved, Izuku kept his eyes closed another few seconds before they fluttered open and met those of the wizard. The look on Shouto’s face was a little smug at the reaction he’d drawn out of Izuku. He was going to protest, but he didn’t have time to ramble since when he noticed Shouto coming closer to kiss him a second time. Izuku decided that maybe he didn’t mind the smug look the wizard had given him as their lips met again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello they finally talked about their feelings! Shouto still hasn't said the L word though, come on Todoroki!


	15. Moving , But is it Forwards or Backwards?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The castle's entrances need to be moved to new locations, and one of them is going into Izuku's childhood home and former hat shop. Izuku is looking forward to how the house will change, but there's one specific change he feel embarrassed to ask Shouto to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're finally moving in together! Today's been exhausting but I'm glad to have writing to focus on at the end of the day!

After several minutes of kissing, Shouto declared that it was time to move the house, and left the room to make preparations for that.. At the moment, Shouto and Momo were going about the castle and marking everything up with chalk lines and sigils. Momo conjured up a device that drew larger lines with chalk powder and Shouto went outside to draw a circle around the castle, while Momo marked up her own room. She knew that area best, and Shouto hadn’t wanted to intrude. While they both did their respective chores, Shinsou, Rei, and Izuku just sat uselessly. The two who weren’t permanently glued to a hearth found themselves being shuffled to and fro as the wizard and his apprentice went about their work. It seemed to Izuku that every inch of the house had some elaborate chalk notes taken on it. He stepped carefully to avoid messing them up.

Shouto approached Izuku with a puzzled look on his face. He notice there was something different about the wizard. The bandage on the side of his head was still there, but the hair that had been shaved was now evened out to a uniform length. The top remained the same medium length it had always been, but now the shaved area was on both sides, rather than just the front of the red half. Izuku thought it looked nice. It actually looked similar to Iida’s haircut, but with more of a pretty boy look to it. 

“You changed your hair!” 

“Only for a little, until the wound heals fully and i can grow it out again. Izuku, you said we should sell flowers?” 

Izuku nodded enthusiastically. He’d always loved flowers, but never had time or space to grow his own garden. He remembered being so excited when Uraraka had described the flowers that Thirteen grew and sent home pressed flowers. Now, Izuku would have a chance to work with his own flower arrangements! 

“What should our shop be called?” Shouto continued. 

“Hmm, we can’t use either of our names because that would be too obvious,” began Izuku. “If there were a shop called “Todoroki’s” or “Midoriya’s” it would be a red flag but … what if we named it after Uraraka? Your father doesn’t know her, and she’s my best friend so I think it’s only right that I name something so important after her. Plus, she told me her name means “Peaceful and Wonderful,” so it would be sweet to sell peaceful and wonderful flowers, don’t you think?” 

Shouto smiled at Izuku’s rambling. It occured to Izuku that Shouto never put much work into naming things. He’d accepted that they had a pet dog named dog, all his potions were plainly labeled, and the man hadn’t even come up with a wizard alias like most people had. Everyone called him Todoroki, his name, while most wizards came up with cool sounding things like “All Might.” Meanwhile, Izuku put so much thought into everything. He remembered having a list of possible hero names as a child, all of which were just variations on his idol’s title. Maybe he should come up with a real alias now that he had powers.

“‘Uraraka Flowers,’” Shouto repeated. “I like it. We’ll need to move the castle to a place where we can get flowers, and then we’ll have the shop entrance, and that leaves one other opening to decide.” 

“What about the fourth door? The black one? Where does that lead.” 

Shouto tensed up. He looked nervous. 

“It’s personal, please don’t go through there Izuku.” 

“O-Okay,” he stuttered dejectedly. 

As quickly as the topic was brought up, Shouto put it back. It was evident that he didn’t want to talk about it, and Izuku wanted to give him that privacy. It didn’t stop his insatiable curiosity, but he told himself to behave and not snoop around Shouto’s private things. 

“Actually, nevermind,” Shouto continued, ignoring the interruption. ”I think I have an idea of where the final door can go. If that’s all set, I only have to add some extra rooms. You need one, and my Mother should have her own room too. Maybe I’ll add another bathroom. We’ll certainly need a larger kitchen table.” 

“Um, actually … about my bedroom … would you mind if I slept with you instead? I-if that’s too much of an intrusion I understand! I just l-liked it and that would save us the extra space as well and-” 

“It’s fine with me,” Shouto said softly, as he smiled at Izuku much to the man’s relief. “With that in mind, I’d say it’s time to shape the castle into our new home.” 

Momo came down the stairs and announced that she was done marking up her room, and Shouto nodded. He stepped across the chalk covered floor. Miraculously his feet didn’t disturb the fragile drawings or writing. Izuku couldn’t tell if Shouto’s steps were too delicate to disturb them, or if the chalk lines were more tenacious than he’d given them credit for. As he neared the hearth, Shouto picked up a small silver shovel. 

“Are you ready, Shinsou?”

“No. You’ll have to get another fire demon to transform your house for you.”

“Our house, Shinsou,” he reminded him. He turned to Izuku, Momo, and Rei. “I’m going to need you all to be off the ground. If you’d all sit on the kitchen table, please.” 

They all hurried onto the table, which creaked under their weight. Momo and Izuku sat next to one another, while Rei rested her head on Izuku’s lap. They watched Shouto remove the fire demon from the hearth with the shovel, and then step into the center of the floor where a small circle was drawn. His hair started to float in the air and his clothing blew as if a light updraft were moving it. The circle started to glow, as the objects in the castle started to float. What Izuku saw truly amazed him. 

The floating objects started to transform. Before, the table had been paired with two mismatched chairs and a bench which Shouto had used more as storage than as seating. They turned into four nice wooden chairs that matched, and a fifth one went into the corner, in case they had company and needed the extra seating. The walls around them stretched out, making a bigger space with organised kitchen utensils on one side, as well as a dedicated kitchen sink and large food storage cabinet. Izuku realized the kitchen walls were the ones from his old apartment, only refurbished. The opposite wall that had housed bookcases and potion materials curled in on itself and until it formed a separate room and doorway. Inside was a proper library with room to work and extra potion and material storage. Nex tot the door to that new room there came an end table that had a flower pot on it, and Izuku recognized the plant in it as none other than the one he’d removed from the bathtub drain his first day cleaning. 

He noticed the stairs that led to the upstairs change. The bed underneath them disappear completely, and Izuku’s things traveled up the stairs and out of sight. Underneath the stairs there was now an oak doorway with a lace curtain. He figured this was so Rei could enter in her human form or any of her dog forms. There was no telling what type of dog she would be, so it was best to make something that would work for any of them. The lace looked like snowflakes, and through it he saw a bedroom that looked just like his mother’s bedroom in the apartment only the furnished were differently. 

Meanwhile the bathroom shifted to the side to make room for another door, which seemed to be Momo’s room relocated to the first floor. The bouquet she’d hung on it was still there, but the door was different. The bathroom door also changed to match the new door style. They were both made of a dark wood with an elegant grain to it. The other two doors, one leading to a closet and the other leading to the yard, changed to match these. Little plaques with labels went on each room, denoting their purpose. 

Beneath the floating kitchen table the floorboards changed as well. Before they had been an aging splintered wood, but now they were smooth and lacquered. A soft teal carpet laid itself down under the table, and a two new doormats went in at the foot of the stairs an the main door. A dog bed installed itself near the hearth. It would be a nice place for Rei to rest when she wasn’t in her new room. The hearth itself gained more detail. Izuku could see symbols above the hearth that looked like the sun and moon. The sides of the heart were detailed with shooting stars and clouds. 

The first floor was becoming complete, but Izuku could hear objects moving all around upstairs as well. What sort of changes were happening up there? That must have been Shouto’s room- no, the room they would be sharing. Izuku couldn’t wait to see what it looked like. 

With the transformation coming to a close, the wallpaper became a pattern of pale flowers intertwining with each other. Izuku recognized some of them. There were Asther, Begonias, Lily of the Valley, Azaleas, Poppies, Lilacs, and Roses. They were all reds, whites, pinks, and purples. Izuku thought they were quite lovely, and he thought he could get used to the pretty wallpaper. It was fitting for a house above a flower shop. Shouto also added in a vase on the table with the same flowers, which Izuku delighted in. He was already feeling excited about making more bouquets like this one. 

Everything had stopped moving, and Izuku noticed the colors corresponding to the doorknob changing. The Porthaven and Kingsbury exits were gone, and the castle had moved to a far away part of the wastes. The three colors that had represented each of these faded and dripped off the dial, being replaced with brand new colors. The only original color that remained was black.

“You can get down off the table now,” Shouto said as he stepped out of the circle. 

Momo got up and so did Izuku who lifted Rei down after them. Upon doing so the table transformed on queue. This one was larger and matched the chairs. A small white tablecloth spread under the vase in the centre.

Izuku was excited now that the house was finally moved. He desperately wanted to do three things. First, he wanted to check out the entire house and see what had changed. Secondly, he wanted to go see what the different entrances led to. Finally, he wanted to go tell his mother they’d finally moved. His first wish was fulfilled when he looked over and saw Shouto offering his hand. 

“Would you like a tour of the place, Izuku?” 

“Of course!” 

He took his hand and showed him towards the bathroom. He opened it up and it was even larger than before. The walls had expanded, but inside it seemed emptier. Most of his potions were gone, but there was a shelf on the wall designated first aid which had various healing potions and bandages. The plant that had lived on the vanity was gone, now living in the main room. 

“This is the main bathroom, but I added a second one similar to this upstairs. With four people, having one bathroom would have gotten inconvenient at some point. Plus, at the rate our household is growing you never know, we could get even more guests in the future. Anyways, this room seems to be where we go when we’re injured, so I added a first aid area so it’s easier to access. Most of these positions should be labeled if you ever need them in an emergency, but hopefully if you get injured again I’ll be there to heal you.”

“Do you think I could handle healing myself? I have magic apparently, but I’ve never tried to use it to heal anything before.” 

“I could show you what I know some time. I’m sure you’d get the hang of it as long as you believe in your own ability. All magic relies on the confidence that the user has in their own ability, especially talking magic like yours.”

They moved out of the room and Shouto pointed towards the two new rooms that had formed beside the bathroom. 

“These two rooms are for Momo and my mother. You’ll see why, but I had to move Momo’s door down here. It means less stairs for her, which she’ll probably appreciate. Also I’m sure you’ll notice I made a designated kitchen area for food and utensil storage. I even made a clean sink so we don’t have to wash in the bathroom anymore.”

“It looks like my kitchen back in my mother’s house,” Izuku noted. 

“Mhm,” Shouto confirmed. “I wanted to try and preserve some of the likeness, but your old house was a bit small for four people and a fire demon to live in the way it was. The bathroom definitely had to go, but I gave my mother the room that belonged to your mother, and there’s a bit upstairs I hope you’ll enjoy.”

He wandered towards the other side of the room where the potion lab and library was. 

“I added this room on so we could make potions somewhere other than where we ate. I realize now that stray potion materials getting into our food could have been bad. It’s less of a thing you worry about when you live alone, but now that I have so many others living here I had to rethink a lot of the house’s layout. Also, I added some books on gardening and plant magic so you could brush up on anything you’d need to know.” 

“Thank you!” Izuku was beaming, and Shouto couldn’t help but smile at the excitement he displayed. 

Izuku was looking forward to seeing what was upstairs. That was where Shouto’s room was evidently, and now they’d be sharing it. It made Izuku excited … but why had he moved Momo down here, and what was similar about it to his old apartment? 

Shouto led him towards the door to their yard. It looked more refined now. The scrap metal and junk had all been put inot a shed by the area’s far side. The space closer to them was now full of gardening pots of all shapes and sizes, which were organized on wooden benches. There was a table that housed gardening tools like gloves, trowels, clippers, and more. There was a sizeable watering pail next to them as well as more seeds than Izuku could identify. They were in little packets, drawstring bags, and even glass corked bottles. 

“Since we’re starting a flower shop I figured you’d want to be able to grow some things of your own. I conjured up some seeds, but if you want more just say so. I don’t know what your favorite flowers are, so I tried to get a mix of most of the common ones.”

“This is wonderful, Shouto! Thank you,” he exclaimed as he tackled the wizard into a hug. He was caught by surprise, and had to free a hand to catch himself on the doorway so he didn’t fall over. Izuku muttered an apology, but was told it was fine. 

Shouto then led him by the hand back indoors and, to his delight, up the stairs. Izuku noticed that the stairs themselves looked like the ones in his old apartment. Was this what Shouto had meant?

“Izuku, this next room is going to be our bedroom. I hope you’re alright with what I’ve done to the place,” he said in a way that seemed uncharacteristically nervous. 

“Why wouldn’t I be alright with it?” 

Well ….” 

He opened the curtain to show that the room in question was Izuku’s own attic bedroom from the old apartment. It was much larger now, and inside was new furniture that closely resembled the things Shouto had kept in his room. It very different from the mismatch cheap furniture he’d had in his old bedroom. The bed was huge and almost identical to Shouto’s, only the covers were different. There were green flowers and little rabbits printed on them, and the edges had gold embroidery. They seemed just as cozy as the ones on the old bed. Upon thinking of covers, Izuku wondered where his old All Might blanket had gone. He looked around and found it hanging on one of the walls, like a tapestry. His mother had made it for him, and so he was so glad it was still here. Also still present were the All Might figures, which were arranged on a table against the wall, aside from one that was standing over the bed, watching over whoever slept there. His mother had put it there when Izuku was young to protect him from bad dreams. 

He looked around the rest of the room. There was a large vanity to the right side that had been in Shouto’s room, thought the color had been different before. On it were all sorts of jewelry and other accessories. All of Izuku’s journals were still on a bookshelf, thought this one also had some blank notebooks for Izuku to fill with time. Some of Shouto’s favorite books were on the shelves as well, which Izuku thought was sweet. Everything in the room seemed like a mashup of both their interests. The place had all sorts of magical trinkets, alongside All Might merchandise and other objects Izuku recognized from his childhood.

The piles of clothing from Shouto’s room were gone, and Izuku noted a real walk in closet was attached to his room. Inside were Shouto’s clothes as well as his own. There were even new clothes there for him, and his green suit that Shouto had mended. He wasn’t sure if he should have been thankful for new clothing or offended that Shouto thought he needed them. He was leaning towards thankful. He had never really had clothing bought just for him, it was always hand me downs. 

Leaving the walk in closet led him to look at the other door, which led to their private bathroom. It was the same size as the old one had been downstairs, and there was an identical clawfoot tub with a shower head attached here as well. There were new shelves,which seemed to be where all the potions Shouto had downstairs had gone. At least they were now organized, and there was a designated shelf for Izuku’s toiletries as well. He was glad to have a space to store his things and he was appreciative of Shouto’s effort to clean up. 

He went back to the main room to take it all in again. The wallpaper was now visible, with the All Might posters gone. This was more floral print, though it was lamb’s ear and daffodils. Izuku had always considered Lamb’s Ear his favorite plant, and wondered if Shouto had known somehow, or if it was a coincidence. Was Shouto capable of doing things on coincidence, or was it all planned some way or another? 

“Shouto, this place is great! I don’t mind that you put in new furniture, your bed is much comfier than mine anyways. Where did the All Might posters go?” 

Shouto went to the bookshelf and pulled out a large book, which he opened up to reveal all the drawings of All Might were in it like a photo album. They could all be taken out if need be, but it was neater to keep them in there. 

“I hope this is alright, Izuku. I took some liberties with the place, so if anything isn’t alright just tell me and I’ll try and fix it.”

“No, I love it Shouto! Thanks!” 

“Sure, no problem.” 

“Did you really come up with this all on the fly? I mean I sprung the ‘lets room together’ thing on you pretty last minute.” 

“Well… if I’m being totally honest I had predicted you might ask something like this. This layout was my main plan, but I had a backup if you wanted a separate room.” 

Izuku felt embarrassed for his transparency. Was he really that easy to predict? It wasn’t exactly that he’d tried to hide his feelings for Shouto, but he hoped he didn’t make a fool of himself. Either way, if he hadn’t been so obvious in his intentions they might not be sharing a room, and they might not have kissed that morning. 

“The tour isn’t over yet, are you ready to continue, or so you want to rest here a bit?” 

“Well, if you wanted to try out the new bed for a bit I wouldn’t mind,” Izuku flirted. 

He thought about the cuddling they’d done the night before. It had been sweet, and he couldn’t wait to fall asleep in Shouto’s arms again. He remembered the wizard’s strong biceps pulling him in and felt his heart flutter. 

“It’s the same bed,” Shouto admitted. It was obvious that Shouto didn’t notice Izuku’s attempt at flirting. “I just redecorated it. It’s functionally the same, but if you want to make sure it’s alright go ahead.” 

“No, I … let’s move on.”

“Alright. If you’ll follow me downstairs,” Shotuo said offering a hand to guide Izuku to their next destination. 

They went down the stairs and towards the door, where Shouto’s hand found the doorknob and started turning it to a pastel green color. He checked behind him to make sure Izuku was ready, and then he opened the door to reveal a new landscape before them. He stepped forward and brought them both out into a sunny field. 

Izuku gasped at what he saw. The field was full of more flowers than Izuku had seen in his entire life. The flowers were of all different types. Some were common, like daisies or roses, while other were rarer ones he’d only seen pictures of like orchids and hibiscus flowers. There were plants in every color imaginable, and interspersed between them were trails of rivers that wound all the way across the valley the field was in. All Izuku could do was look over the fields of them with wide eyes and an even wider smile. 

“How did you ever find this place?”

“Do you see the little cottage at the bottom of that hill? It used to belong to my mother when she was young. She would spend whole summers there studying. My father doesn’t know about it, so she used to tell me if we escaped him we would head here. I used to dream of this place, so when she set me free it was the second place I went, right after I left Momo’s house.”

“Were all these flowers here then too?” 

“Not all of them.” 

“Wait … did you plant these, Shouto?” 

“I cheated. I grew them with magic rather than traditional gardening. Most of these plants can’t survive here otherwise, the climate isn’t right for them.” 

“This is truly incredible! I can’t believe you did all this!” 

“I’m glad you like it. You can use the flowers here for the shop any time you’d like. I’m sure you’ll make wonderful bouquets.”

“I have always wanted to get into gardening. Between taking care of the hat shop and taking care of my mother I never had the time for it. If i’m being honest I didn’t have time for a lot of things. Before I met you, my life was a repetitive cycle of making hats, to sell hats, make money to take care of my mother with, and using the money left over to guy more supplies for more hats. It was what she and my father had enjoyed doing, but from what she said it was easier when there were two of them working there. If I hadn’t met you, I think i might have never gotten out of that. I would probably still be there trying to get by.” 

“Izuu, if running a shop again is too much work you don’t have to do it. I had just thought you’d enjoy it, plus it would be a way for you to profit if I’m not around one day.” 

“Shouto, you’re starting to scare me. Why do you say saying this like you’re about to leave?”

He felt tears starting to form, which was something he was used to. In his short life, He wrapped his arms around himself for comfort and looked at the ground. Izuku had lost his father, lost his two best friends to apprenticeships, and now his mother was far away as well. He didn’t have many people in his life to begin with, and one by one they all seemed to be leaving him. What was he doing wrong? Why was Shouto going to leave him now just like the others? 

“No, Izuku please don’t cry,” he whispered as he cupped Izuku’s jaw and brought the man’s gaze back to himself. “Leaving you is the last thing I would ever want to do. I’ve never been so happy as I am when I’m with you, and I would never want to leave behind you, or Momo, or my mother. I’m just afraid I don’t have much choice in the matter. My father’s spell is going to come true some day, and I know I won’t be able to protect you all anymore. I’m setting this all up because I want to know you’ll be fine when I’m gone. It’ll make whatever comes next easier.”

“What comes next?”

The wizard refused eye contact and was evidently trying to come up with a way to change the subject.

“Shouto, there’s something you’re hiding, and I don’t want to make you say something you don’t want to, but what if I can help? I know I don’t have looks or talent like you, and I just discovered my magic so I’m not good at it, but if I can help in any way, I will do everything I can!”

“Izuku, you’re beautiful and amazing,” Shouto insisted. “I don’t think I’d have made it this far without your help, so don’t ever doubt your capabilities.” 

“That doesn’t count, Shouto. I’ve had a lot of help in everything I’ve done. Still, I’m sure we can make it through this if we just figure out what your father is planning to do.” 

“I … I don’t know for sure. He wants me to be his successor, and to be the greatest wizard. I’m guessing he’ll try and corrupt me in some way so I become like him and then he’ll try and abuse the fact I’m the Royal Wizard now to try and take the throne or something.”

“I won’t let him. He can’t control you if I don’t let him take you.” 

“I don’t think it’s that simple.”

“True. We don’t know how it will actually work, so what we need to do is lay low and gather any information we can. Once we know more we can make concrete plans to protect you. In the meantime we should head back home. It’s getting a bit late, and I think there’s a bed with our name on it.” 

“Izuku-” 

“Yes?”

“Thank you for being here for me through all of this.” 

“Of course, Shouto,” he whispered.

Shouto smiled at him, and Izuku could see in his eyes that he was still afraid of his father’s plans. Of course he was. A few kind words couldn’t undo the fact that he was under a curse from one of the most powerful wizards there was, and that if it came true he might lose all control of his future. No amount of talking or cuddling or kissing could take that away, but if Izuku could only make him forget about his father for a minute at a time he’d consider that a success. 

He took a step towards the wizard, and brought a hand up to meet his face. He stood on the tips of his toes, not being tall enough to reach the other man’s face as easily while they were standing up as he had when they’d been on the bed before. Shouto noticed what he was planning, and leaned forward to make it easier on him. They were nearly face to face, but izuku stopped to say something first.

“There’s nowhere I’d rather be.” 

The wizard closed the distance between them, finally allowing their lips to meet. This kiss was different from the one before. It wasn’t as playful, it was more mature. There was a neediness to it, like they were both afraid they might not see each other. Shouto kissed him passionately. It was a thank you, and a you’re welcome, and a promise that he wouldn’t leave before he absolutely had to. 

There, surrounded by flowers in the middle of nowhere and with the full blue sky above them, Izuku found himself kissing the man he’d fallen in love with again. He truly couldn’t think of another place he’d rather be. It wasn’t because of the beauty of surrounding area, or the flowers that were growing around them, or even the significance its history had for the Todoroki family. His feelings weren’t sight specific. He knew he would be happy no matter where he went so long as they were together.


	16. Flower Displays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku settles into his life after the castle's transformation. Unable to do things in half measures, he promptly gets the flower shop ready to run and tries his hand at floral arrangements!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello I didn't realize how long this fic was, or how long most fics are? Again, this is my first real fic ever so I have no point of reference. It's very long, oops?

The shop was just as Izuku remembered it being that day they had visited his mother. The hats were all gone, not even a piece of ribbon or a silk flower was left behind. The only things that had been left behind by the move were dust and spiders, which Shouto enjoyed but Izuku rather wished he could evict. 

The day before, Shouto had shown him around the castle. He could barely sleep that night he was too excited to get the shop started. He had woken up early that morning so he could get to work. He’d originally planned to check in with his mother that day, but he realized that it would be better to check in with her after the shop was in business. They’d have more to talk about that way. 

He got one of the fresh notebooks that Shouto had made him and headed to the field of flowers to take notes, muttering continually as he went along. He took note of what flower combinations might be pretty, and then he went back into the library to get a book on flower symbolism. He figured no one would really care about the meaning of the bouquets so much as they would care about the look, but he was never one to do things in half measures. If he was going to make bouquets he would make the nicest, most meaningful bouquets that Market Chipping had ever seen. 

He wrote down the meanings of flowers in his notebook next to the illustrations he’d drawn of each plant. Each page listed the name, meaning, and color variations of the flower, with a drawing to the side. Further room for notes and different flower combinations beside it. Some pages he even had pressed blossoms or leaves that he stuck to them. 

At the moment he was filling out the chapter on roses. They seemed to be what would sell the best, since everyone knew what they were and thought they were so romantic. Each color meant something different. He was sure the traditional red declaration of true love would be the most popular, but he quite enjoyed the other colors as well. Yellows were pretty, but their meaning varied from warm friendship to jealousy and betrayal, so he figured he would avoid those. He noticed some variegated roses in the garden that he thought were the most beautiful of them all. The ones that Shouto had grown were red with orange stripes, but Izuku wondered if he could get some to grow in red and white like the wizard’s hair. 

In all his excitement cataloging plants he almost missed Momo walking down the stairs dressed in a white sundress with a thick petticoat and a high button up collar and no sleeves. She had a parasol in her hand and white gloves that buttoned up to her mid forearm. Her hair was pulled back into a bun except for her bangs which were held back by a golden hair clip. She looked beautiful. 

“Momo you look amazing! Are you going somewhere special?”

She blushed and smiled, then placed her hand over her heart. 

“I have a date with Jirou! A real date, not just walking around on her lunch hour or watching her play in a tavern. I made dinner reservations for us at a restaurant on the other side of town, and then we’re going to see a live play at the local theatre!” 

“Wow! Sounds exciting!”

“Yes, I’m a bit nervous but I’m swallowing that fear and trying to focus on how happy I’ll be to spend time with her.” 

“Wait! If you’re going on a date you’ll need this,” Izuku said as he rushed out of the door for a moment and came back with a bouquet of flowers. It was a small arrangement, but it was elegant and the flowers were all red which seemed to be a color that suited Momo. There was a single cut orchid surrounded by strands alstroemeria. It was wrapped in a white lace handkerchief with a red ribbon tying the whole thing together. He handed it over to Momo. 

“Oh, Izuku! This is beautiful, thank you!” 

“It was nothing, I hope you have a lovely date!” 

“Thanks, I’ll be back later!”

Izuku watched her leave with a spring in her step and a smile on her face. She clutched the bouquet like it was an award she was accepting. He liked to think the bouquet was a way to pay her back for all the pastries she’d bought, but in truth he would have given it to her anyways. She was important to him, and Jirou was important to her, so he wanted to support them both in whatever ways he could. Besides, he’d already cut a bunch of flowers that morning, it wasn’t hard to throw together a quick arrangement of them for her to take on her date.

After watching her go, Izuku decided it was best to try and open up the shop now. He went through the door and gathered up the bundles of flowers he’d cut that morning, and brought them to the shop, where he tied them with twine and placed them in vases. 

He looked at his notebook for a spell that helped preserve cut flowers. There were several ingredients that he’d need to get from the potion’s room and then he’d have to boil them and then place it in the same room as the flowers while wafting the scent towards them. Maybe he’d try that later, he decided. In the meantime he decided the flowers could get by on a pep talk instead. He got up on the stool that was at the counter, and made sure he could be heard by all of them. 

“Hello, thank you for joining me today,” he said to them. Was that too formal? Did he need an introduction? “I just wanted to let you know that you’re all wonderful flowers who are going to last a very long time and make people happy! I can’t want to watch people walk out of th shop with smiles on their faces and bouquets in hand. I have every confidence that people will love you!”

With his speech done, Izuku carefully got down from the stool. Maybe getting up there with his aching bones was a bad idea anyways. He couldn’t want until he could get this curse lifted. 

As he started to set up other things around the shop he found himself trying to analyze Shouto’s curse. He’d do it line by line, just like he and Momo had tried to do when they thought it was an innocent spell they had to cast. He thought of the first line, “Go and catch a falling star.” That day Shinsou had said the wizard had caught a shooting star, so that was already done. But why had he done it? If there was something wrong with catching shooting stars, then what had prompted Shouto do to it himself? Besides, if a shooting star was a living thing then what had happened to the creature? The only other living thing Shouto had was- 

Izuku ran up the stairs and into the main room with the hearth. He startled Rei, who had been sleeping in the dog bed by the fire. She leapt at the intrusion, but upon seeing it was Izuku she calmed down and went back to sleep again. Shinsou looked over at the man who’d ran into the room. 

“What are you running for? Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine, I was just wondering … were you ever a shooting star Shinsou?” 

“You finally noticed?”

“Hey, I don’t need your sass young man,” Izuku retorted. 

“I’m not young, Izuku. I’m thousands of years old! You should have more respect for your elders, you’re only eighteen.” 

Izuku stuck his tongue out at the demon, who in turn brought out a fiery tongue and stuck it at Izuku. Shinsou was older than Izuku would ever get to be, even if his lifespan hadn’t been magically shortened by sixty years. It made Izuku sad for a moment as he was reminded that if they didn’t fix this curse he’d only live about twenty years of life, maybe thirty if he was lucky. There was no way of knowing how long his lifespan was, even with all the detection magic in the world. He could have until tomorrow, or he could have a whole decade. 

“Anyways,” The demon continued, snapping Izuku out of his negative thoughts. “Now that you know I’m a shooting star I can talk to you about it. The contract allows that much.” 

“So you fell, and Shouto caught you?” 

“Yes, it was shortly after he left his father I believe. I wasn’t there for is life with Endeavor, but I’ve seen everything afterwards.”

“What was it like, falling? Momo and I tried to catch a star, but it said it was destined to die, and so it wouldn’t let us save it.” 

“It was terrifying,” Shinsou admitted wearily. “I felt myself lose my grip on the sky, and I started to fall to the earth below me faster than I’d ever gone before. I was fighting it, trying to stay up desperately. I knew I was supposed to die, but before I could hit the ground I felt hands around me, lifting me up again. I looked up and there was this child, he had to be twelve or thirteen, and he was holding me.” 

“And that was Shouto.” 

“Yes. He looked at me with wonder like I was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen. When I told him I was dying, he offered to keep me alive the way that humans are kept alive. I would have done anything to stay alive, so I offered him a contract on the spot. He didn’t really want my power, I think he just felt sorry for me.” 

“Really?’ 

“Yes. Neither of us knew what we were getting ourselves into. We didn’t realize what it was we were giving up, or what would happen once we did.” 

“You can’t tell me what it was that he gave you?” 

“Sorry, I can only spill so many beans. You’ll have to figure that out on your own, Izuku.” 

“Heck,” he cursed. “Well, are you impressed that I figured out the first part?”

“Yes, it only took you how long? Has it been two weeks yet?”

“I’m not sure, I haven’t been counting. It’s so easy to get distracted in this place, with all the magic and-”

“And Shouto,” the demon finished. 

“Well, I wasn’t going to say that but-”

“You two have been acting different lately. You’re holding hands more often and don’t think I haven’t notice you two are sharing a bed now-”

“Wow, Shinsou, would you look at the time? I’ve got to get going,” Izuku lied. 

“You’re the worst, you’re fooling no one,” the demon bitterly cried after him as he retreated back down into the shop. 

Izuku was feeling quite impressed with himself for figuring out part of the contract. Sure, he’d had hints, but he’d finally put it together. Who would guess looking at the demon that he was once a star in their sky? He certainly didn’t seem graceful enough for it. Were all the stars as crass as Shinsou was? 

That left Izuku to analyze the other lines. There was, ’get with child a mandrake root,’ next and Izuku wasn’t sure what that one meant. Shouto said it was one of two things to not happen yet. He’d have to keep mandrakes away from the wizard for the time being. ‘Tell me where all past years are,’ seemed to be obvious to Shotuo but Izuku didn’t understand. The way that Shouto had said it, it seemed like he was saying he could travel through past years as if it was nothing. Was traveling through the years even possible? Izuku knew that seeing into them was easy with divination or memory spells, but this was completely different. 

He had no clue what the line about the devil’s foot meant. Shinsou was a demon and that was like a devil wasn’t it? But Shinsou was just fire, he didn’t have legs. At the thought of Shinsou walking around on legs made of fire, Izuku decided to move on immediately. If Shouto figured that out already, it was good enough for him.

The mermaids were also accounted for, so that just left the final line. “Find what wind serves to advance an honest mind.” Who was an honest mind? _‘It can’t be me, I’ve been doing a whole lot of lying recently.’_ he thought to himself. He wasn’t honest in his words or appearance, and neither was Shouto with his potions and secrets. _‘Who else is there that could be part of the curse? Rei has been secretive as well, but Momo has been pretty open right? Though I don’t see how she falls into the curse. Maybe it’s Shinsou? He’s not forthcoming with information but he’s never actually lied to me that I know of. Then again, what does that have to do with wind?’_

A ringing bell interrupted Izuku’s train of thought as he noticed the shop door open. In stepped a certain wizard, who seemed to take a moment to admire the lovely bouquets that were all around the shop now. Izuku smiled. 

“I’m sorry sir, the shop isn’t open yet. You’ll have to wait another day or so until I’m ready for customers,” he teased as he walked over to Shouto. 

“Oh no, whatever will I do? I guess I’ll just wait here then.” 

“Welcome home,” said Izuku as he stood on his tippy toes and leaned on Shouto’s chest to plant a kiss on his cheek. 

“Thanks. The shop is coming along nicely, Izuku. Do you need any help setting up?” 

“I think I’m … more or less good. I was afraid the spell for preserving flowers would take too long, so I gave the bouquets a pep talk instead. Hopefully it should last a little while.” 

Shouto looked closely at the flowers, seeming to consider whether they were sufficiently magical or not. His eyes widened, and he turned back to Izuku. 

“I … I think you went a little overboard. These flowers won’t wilt for three months.” 

“Oh, how long does the spell usually last?” 

“Three weeks,” muttered Shouto, who was clearly deep in thought. “You must have really inspired them … or scared them. I’m unsure, but they’re very motivated to not wilt.” 

“I just asked them kindly!” Izuku was offended at the idea that he would be anything but kind to his plants. He had assumed being mean to the flowers would make them wilt all the sooner. 

“I believe you, don’t worry. I can’t picture you ever being mean, Izuku.” 

“T-thanks, Shouto.” 

“Was that it, or did you need any other assistance?” 

“Well,” Izuku tried to think. He didn’t want Shouto to leave, but what did he need help with. He blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I need you to put this vase up on that shelf!”

Shouto looked at the shelf in question. It was the second one up, and while it was probably about face level with Izuku that wasn't out of reach for either of them. He looked puzzled. 

“That shelf? Are you sure?” 

“Y-yes! It’s … too high for me. I’m so short, you know …” 

Shouto took the vase without hesitation, but he was evidently still questioning the other man’s motives. He placed it centered on the shelf, and made sure it was straightened before he looked back to Izuku. 

“Is that good? Do you need anything else?”

“Yes and yes! I …” he started to look around, but before he could respond he noticed Shouto come over and lean on the countertop, looking at him doubtfully. 

“You know if you just want me to stay here, all you have to do is ask.”

“Oh.”

“I’m here to help if you need me, even if that help if just keeping you company for a bit.” 

“Yea ... I think I’d like that. Thank you Shouto.” 

The wizard chuckled at him, and if it wasn’t such a cute laugh Izuku might have been upset. He pretended to be upset, but in a way that was obvious it was a joke. He dipped his hand into a water basin that was holding plants. When he brought it back up he flicked the water at Shotuo. Not about to let Izuku have the satisfaction of throwing water at him, he heated up the side of his body enough that the water evaporated instantly. 

“That’s cheating and you know it,” Izuku protested quietly. 

Still, the smirk on Shouto’s face made it easy to forgive him. Looking at that smiling face it was easy to forget the curses and contracts that they were both confined by. All the things Shouto had been through and would go through if this curse took hold weren’t on Izuku’s mind when he looked at the wizard. It was nothing but the smile of the man he loved.


	17. Never Too late to Make New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku runs the hat shop and meets a new customer he has a feeling he'll get along quite well with! He likes specific flowers, tips well, and has interesting magical insight. Meanwhile Shouto looks for powerful spells he can use to defeat his father once and for all .. but he knows he doesn't have much time left before the spell's completion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a short chapter, sorry! Hope you enjoy it anyways c:

The next day Izuku opened up the shop for business. He’d had a long rest from the grueling hours of the hat shop and the constant worry that he might not make enough money to keep himself and his mother afloat. Since Shouto was making sure his mother was fine, he had no real reason to work himself to the bone over this, right? 

After eating breakfast Izuku went towards the door, only to find Shouto step in front of it and stop him with a hand placed gently on his chest.

“I’m glad you’re excited about the shop, Izuku. Just promise me you won’t push yourself too hard over this please.”

There was genuine concern in his eyes and he could tell Shouto had thought about this a lot. He felt bad knowing the wizard had worried over it. 

“I’ll be fine, I promise, don’t worry about me..”

“I just want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”

Izuku was reminded of azaleas. In plant symbolism they sometimes meant ‘take care of yourself.’ Izuku had found that sweet. 

“I’ll only keep the shop open for a few hours each day. I wrote on the door it would open at ten and stay open until two thirty.”

“That’s not bad. If you ever want a break I can cover the shop for you if I’m free, or you could ask Momo. I’m sure even my mother would do it for you, but a dog running a shop might seem suspicious.”

“I’ve heard a lot of wizards make magical assistants to run their shops for them,” Izuku mentioned. Shouto got a strange look on his face, like he was trying to hide the apparent disgust he felt at the concept. “N-Not That is want one! It was just something I noticed. Is there something wrong with them?”

“No. It’s perfectly fine, it just rubs me the wrong way. Many strong wizards create human looking puppets that they control. I suppose it’s like me creating illusionary duplicates, but these ones can interact with the physical world better. They look and feel like real people, so making them only to control them feels wrong to me. Besides, my father used to make them and that’s enough of a reason to dislike that type of magic.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.”

“It’s fine. You had no way of knowing.”

“Anyways, I’ll be going down to make sure the shop is ready to open. You can join me, if you’d like.”

“I’ll consider that for later, but not right now. I have some … research I have to do.” 

With that Shouto left and went to the potions room, closing the door behind him. _‘That was …. suspicious,’_ Izuku noted. What exactly was Shouto researching? 

Izuku also wondered what Endeavors puppets looked like. Was Dabi, the man from the shop, one of them? Or was he just a suspicious looking stranger? No, he had delivered the curse, he was definitely working for the evil wizard. It seemed every time he solved a bit of the puzzle, he found a handful of other pieces he hadn’t noticed before. The puzzle would never be finished if he kept going at this rate. 

He went down the stairs and into the flower shop, where he straightened out the objects on the counter, ribbons, bows, wax paper, and scissors. When he was done he went to talk to the plants a little before the shop opened. He crouched by a planter which was slowly sprouting tulips.

“Hello! You’re doing very well today! I can tell you’re going to grow nice and big.”

He made the rounds, talking to all the trimmed and potted flowers. He was so enthralled in his work that he almost missed a knock at the door. 

“Hello? Are you open? The sign on your door says you open at ten, and it’s five past.”

Izuku rushed to unlock and open the door for his very first customer. The man on the other side looked completely human, except for his head which was that of a bird. He seemed to have been waiting a while as he was tapping his foot nervously and fighting with his tie. 

“I’m so sorry! I lost track of time, please come in! How may I help you today?”

Izuku was eager to live up to the shops name. He wanted the service, location, and products to all be wonderful. Whatever this man wanted, Izuku was ready to get it! 

“I’d like the darkest flowers you have. The closer to black they are the better. Purple is also acceptable.”

“Oh. I have some black roses, and I have purple tulips. Would you like cut flowers or something planted?”

“Will cut flowers require sunlight, or will they be fine without?”

“These cut flowers I can guarantee will be fresh for months,” Izuku said remembering what Shouto had said about his spell. “A live plant will need sunlight, so if that’s a problem I’d recommend the cut ones.”

“Wonderful. The place I live is … rather dark. It has mood lighting. I’m not a fan of bright lighting, it hurts my eyes and weakens my magic.”

“Oh! What’s your magic like?”

“I have symbiotic relationship with a creature called darks shadow. He uses my body as a host, and in exchange I get to use his powers as my own.”

“Is … is dark shadow a demon?”

“Yes? But how did you know?”

“Was he a shooting star before?” 

“What? No. Shooting stars produce dangerous fire demons who will corrupt you with time. Dark shadow meanwhile is harder to control on a day to day basis, but he will only become corrupted if I spend extended time in very dark places. That’s why my ideal location is dimly lit, but still visible. He’s powerful there, but I am able to rein him back in when I need to.” 

“Oh I see. You don’t … want help breaking your contract do you? Because I’m already trying to break a few other curses but if you need help I’ll try my best! I can’t let you struggle on your own!” 

“No, Dark Shadow and I are quite happy together. He is a good partner, and I find our arrangement mutually beneficial.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes. My magic is weak without him, practically non-existent. Through our contract I can call on his power, and he gets a place to live so he’s not stuck in the cave I found him in.” 

“That sounds pretty good for both of you. I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.” 

“All is forgiven. You seem to know your fair share about fire demons, do you have one of your own?” 

“No, but my b-” He stopped himself from saying boyfriend. Was Shouto his boyfriend? They didn’t really have a word yet. “My partner has one and I’m trying to help him break their contract at the moment. It’s hard because unlike you, they can’t discuss their deal. I have to guess it all on my own!” 

“That is rough. My condolences. I hope you can fix it soon, for the sake of all parties involved.” 

Izuku nodded somberly. He was about to get caught up thinking about the contract again, but then he realized there was something he was neglecting. 

“Wait, I’m sorry! I forgot you’d wanted flowers there for a moment! I didn’t even ask your name!” 

“My name is Tokoyami, and all it is nothing to worry about. I would appreciate a dozen of your blackest roses if you have that many. They are quite rare, I understand.” 

“I’ll get on that right away!” Izuku then ran through the door to the castle, and back out the flower field doorway. He paced thought the fields looking for where the roses were, and when he found them he paused. He had gloves on thankfully, but they didn’t cover his full arm so he’d have to be careful trimming the roses. He held the stems with the gloved part of his hand, cut, placed them down gently, and then repeated. He talked to the rose bush as he did so.

“Thank you for your hard work. You are beautiful roses and I suspect we’ll have a repeat customer on our hands! Please last as long as you can for him to ensure he gets all the enjoyment he can get out of your company! I’m sorry, I’ll also need you to grow some new buds in the meantime. I hope that’s not too much to handle.” 

On the last cutting, he got careless and a scrape formed along his forearm. He would live, btu he was sure it wasn’t very pleasant for customers to look at. With the request for black roses, he assumed Tokoyami wouldn’t mind blood. It would probably add to the man’s brooding aesthetic. _‘I’ll have to heal that before I return to work.’_

He brought the cuttings back to the shop and covered the stem in enough ribbon to make a hand hold that would survive the thorns. He didn’t want to risk taking the thorns off in cast Tokoyami liked them. 

“Here you go!” 

“Are you alright? You’re bleeding.”

“It’s nothing. I’m sure Shouto can heal it when he’s done researching.” 

“Is Shouto your partner?” 

Izuku’s smile lit up, hearing the words come from someone else’s lips. His heart fluttered a little, and he was sure his stomach tied itself in a knot. It was ridiculous how such a simple word could mean so much to him. 

“Yes,” he said fondly. 

“Well, I wish you two the best, in both relationships and demon contracts” Tokoyami said as he placed some gold coins on the counter. “Thank you for the flowers and for the conversation. I’m sure I’ll be back for more of both.” 

“Hey, wait! Tokoyami this is too much to pay for the flowers, let me get you some change!” 

“Keep it. It’s a tip for excellent service.”

No one had ever tipped him this much at the hat shop. He supposed Tokoyami would never have gone in there, not having a head that was designed for hats. How unfortunate! At least he enjoyed the flowers, and Izuku considered that he might be on his way to making another friend. His smile widened, and he placed the coins in the register for safe keeping. 

“Alright,” he told himself. “Onto the next customer!”

 

・・・・・

 

Later that day Shouto was sitting in his library doing research, but finding nothing of use. He had gone into the room hoping to find a powerful spell that could destroy his father, but the thing about powerful spells was that they took time, or materials, or very specific circumstances. 

He was starting to grow weary. He could feel the curse that Endeavor had put on him getting closer to completion. It was as if he could sense the approach of the next line. Was it going to be the honesty or the mandrake? At the rate in which he was becoming more and more open with Izuku he suspected it was the latter. He decided the only thing that could send this feeling away was seeing Izuku himself and forgetting about the curse for a little while. He went down to the flower shop and was immediately greeted by a wide grin, curly hair, and a little bit of blood. 

“Izuku, your arm!” 

“Oh,” he said softly. “It’s just a scratch from the rose bush earlier. Nothing to worry about.” 

“Bring it here, I’ll heal you.” 

“Actually, do you think you could show me how to heal it myself?” 

“Oh,” Shouto sighed. He didn’t mean to sound disappointed, in fact he hadn’t realized he had until suddenly Iuzku started to explain himself. 

“Don’t get me wrong, I love having you heal me, I just want to know what to do if you’re …. ever not around.” 

Izuku’s voice got quieter and sadder as he went. Shouto was reminded of the fact his curse was almost completed, and so he would have to be leaving soon. He tried to push the thought away.

“Right, you’ll need this training,” Shouto agreed. 

He moved closer to Izuku, and looked for a place to sit. There was only one stool at the counter, so he resigned himself to standing until Izuku noticed his concern and got up. 

“I’ll sit on the countertop. You take the chair, Shouto.” 

“You sure?” 

“Yea, it’s fine.” 

“Okay,” Shout started. “What you want to do it focus on the positive energies and visualize the skin mending back together. Now, imagine that feeling flowing through your body, and then converging in the part of your body you are using to heal with. Let’s start with your index finger.” 

“Right.” 

Izuku closed his eyes and tried to imagine the energy flowing into just his finger. He pictured his finger as a distiller, and the energy was gathering there to slowly drop down little by little. He could feel it flowing, he pictures skin mending itself like the clothing he mended. He pictured growth, like the plants he worked with. 

“Wow,” Shouto couldn’t help but whisper. 

Surprised, Izuku opened his eyes and saw that his finger was glowing. There wasa red glow like electricity that was traveling along his skin. He gasped. 

“Did I do it?” 

“You did it, Izuku. On your first try and everything. It took me six hours to master that, good job.” 

“But- but- What do I do now?”

“Heal something. Touch your finger to the injury.” 

Izuku panicked. Shouto had been implying he heal the scrape on his arm, but instead Izuku reached out to the small bandage that was still on Shouto’s head from the incident with his father. Shout felt a slight zap at first, like static electricity, then warmth spread all around the wounded area, and seeped into his body. It was nothing like his own healing or the healing he’d been taught by Recovery Girl. It made him warm, but gave him chills, and his shock must have been obvious because suddenly Izuku was rambling and he didn’t know why. 

“Oh my god! I’m sorry, was it supposed to do that? I think I gave you a static shock? Did that hurt? Shouto please say something I’m freaking out. The bruises are gone and the swelling is too, but did I do worse damage somewhere else? I’m so sorry-”

“No, Izuku, that was incredible …” 

“It … it was? You’re not hurt?” 

He got up to move closer to Izuk to comfort him. He took Izuku’s hands in his own and looked him in the eyes. How could this man ever feel bad for healing him?

“No, I feel better. My headache is gone, and you said yourself that the visible damage is gone too.” 

“Then why do you look surprised?” 

“I’ve … never felt healing magic like that. You really are something special, Izuku.” 

“T-thank you?” 

“I’m going to heal your arm wound now, but don’t forget what that felt like. Remember how you channeled the energy, and try and replicate it next time. You’re more powerful than you give yourself credit for,” he said as he started to leave. “Oh, and thank you for healing my head wound.” 

“You’re welcome, Shouto. I’m glad I could help.” 

As he walked away, he couldn’t help but wonder how Izuku had mastered that so quickly. He also found himself thinking of how cute Izuku had looked sitting on the countertop with a look of pure excitement at the magic he’d managed to achieve. He looked happy, but he also looked proud. They were both things that Shouto wanted to see more of while he still had time.

Meanwhile, Izuku sat on the countertop in the shop below dumbfounded at his own power. He’d never imagined he could be able to learn a new spell so easily, and he was glad he could use it to help Shouto … but was this a normal side effect? The finger he’d cast from was starting to hurt ... a lot.


	18. Oops, Broken Bones Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku takes a special order for the flower shop from a sad police detective. He also has to come to terms with the fact his newfound power may cause injury to his body each time it's used, but why? Maybe a talk with Shouto will clarify things for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, sorry these chapters have been shorter lately! I promise I'm not abandoning the work I'm just having less time. School starts for me in nine days, so we'll see if I finish this before the start of the semester or if I'm gonna be writing this between 6 classes per week! Either way, I've already planned the ending and so I can't give up! I promise this will be finished c:

Izuku was left there sitting on the shop counter, dumbfounded by his own apparent ability to heal. It was well known that every wizard is born with one type of magic that comes naturally to them. Most of the time it is something passed down from the wizard’s parents, but not always. Izuku never inherited his mother or father’s powers, instead he developed magic of his own. Shouto was to opposite in that he obtained both his parent’s powers, which was exceedingly rare. The type of magic one was born with was more powerful for them than any other type, and it was supposed to be really hard to learn magical traits if they weren’t your given magical specialty. That’s why it was odd for him to be naturally good at talking magic and also be able to do healing magic.

He was excited about this new skill! As someone who spent a large part of his childhood in casts he knew letting things heal naturally was unpleasant. Healing magic was a rare specialization, and so if he could do it he wanted to use this skill to help others where he could. 

His excitement didn’t stop his mind from coming up with a million questions per second. Why was he able to do this so freely? Most wizards had some sort of drawback for using other forms of magic. For example, Shouto’s duplicate illusions were powerful but he could only make a few of them. Meanwhile, duplication wizards like Ectoplasm could make over thirty copies of himself at once. Rei specialized in ice, but had performed a powerful protection spell on her son. As a drawback, the spell left him with a scar on his face that couldn’t be healed even with magic. Most wizards knew the risks of doing magic that wasn’t their own, and Izuku had been waiting to see what drawbacks he had. It was too good to be true that he could cast without any negative side effects or limits. 

Then he felt it, a sharp pain in his finger like someone had dropped a textbook on it or stepped on it suddenly. He remembered both these feelings all too well. He gasped and clutched at his hand, though he was careful not to touch the index finger. He’d found the drawbacks to his healing … but … this did seem a bit odd. What sort of healing magic caused the healer to become injured? If all healing magic was like that then it would be an endless circle of people healing others and then needing healing themselves. If someone tried to heal their own injuries it would be pointless. Was this a normal sort of reaction to trying to perform a spell that didn’t fall under his magic type? He’d have to ask Shouto later. 

For now the pain wasn’t too bad, he could work through it. It wasn’t the first time he’d worked through pain like this. In his school days he’d often had to hide his injuries from students or teachers for various reasons. For better or worse, he knew he could do this just fine. He bit his lip and tried to ignore it for the rest of the time he was working. 

A few customers came in, and each had their own stories. Izuku liked to hear about other people’s lives and their reasons for needing or wanting flowers. One of them was a man with spiky red hair who asked for something hardy, since he kept forgetting to water the plants. Izuku gave him a succulent. A girl came in and asked for something, but later Izuku couldn’t recall what it was she asked for or even what she’d looked like. She easily went unnoticed it seemed, but Izuku felt bad about it. Then someone came in who Izuku remembered from the bakery down the street. He asked for the most exquisite and fancy plant that Izuku had. He gave him a beautiful orchid that seemed to delight the customer. He thanked him in French and skipped out the door.

The most memorable one for Izuku was a police officer who came in shortly before closing. He was in his uniform still, having clearly just got off from work. He wore a dress shirt and slacks underneath his large tan coat and its matching hat. He took the hat off as he entered the building. _‘What a gentleman,’_ Izuku noted. He had a name tag that he’d forgotten to take off which read “Detective Tsukauchi.” It was evident he was tired, maybe from staying up late working on too many cases at work. He put on a smile and gave Izuku a gentle wave as he entered the shop and approached the counter.

“Hello, welcome to Uraraka Flowers, may I help you?” 

“I was wondering, do you have anything that symbolizes remembrance?” 

“Oh,” Izuku muttered. It was an unusual request, but this was exactly why he’d been looking up flower meanings. “I can make an arrangement specifically for that, if you’d like. Do you mind if I ask why you’d want one? It will help me know what flowers to pick.”

The detective’s smile faltered, and his gaze dropped to his hands resting on the counter in front of him. 

“It’s for my husband. He went missing a while ago. I haven’t given up hope that he’ll come home one day, but others keep telling me to give up, and that he’s probably gone forever. He was something of a local hero, so there’s a few shrines set up in his honor. I wanted something to leave at one of them.” 

Izuku wanted to cry at that, but was sure this man had seen enough tears for his husband. He held himself together, just barely. With a sad story like that it was no wonder the man was tired. Between looking into crimes and looking for his husband, the man must be working around the clock.

“Thank you for telling me. I promise I’ll make you the perfect bouquet. Wait here a moment,” Izuku told him, but the officer put a hand up to stop him before he could take another step. 

“I feel bad showing up so close to the closing time of your shop. I don’t want you to have to work later just for my sake. You can take your time and work on it, I’ll be back tomorrow, same time, to pick it up.” 

“Oh, are you sure? I really don’t mind, detective.” 

“I’m positive. My husband wouldn’t want you to stress over completing it. Besides, I’m sure you have your own life to worry about. Here’s some payment in advance, and you can bill me the rest once the bouquet is completed.” 

With that the officer slipped him a couple silver coins and went to the exit. He waved his hat to Izuku before putting it on his head and leaving the shop all together. Not wasting a moment, Izuku closed up the place and went to the fields of flowers to look for the best plants to include for this situation. This bouquet had to exceed normal expectations. It needed to be flawless.

There were many options that would represent loss or mourning, but Izuku wanted to look on the more hopeful side. It would be easy to be pessimistic and assume the detective’s husband was gone for good, but Izuku never did things purely because they were easy. He would make a bouquet expressing the man’s sadness, but also representing the desire for him to return. 

His first thought was to pick sunflowers. In some cultures these represented good luck and longevity, a sentiment Izuku strongly wanted to represent. They were usually a bit large, but Izuku found some smaller variations that Shouto had grown. He pulled out the clippers from the pocket of his apron and got ready to trim, only to be reminded that his finger still hurt quite badly. It was worse when he tried to move it, so he cut with his other hand for the time being. 

His next flower was the red poppy. The flower represented, among other things, remembrance. A sprig of rosemary would represent the same, but Izuku thought that he’d stick to only flowers for this. Next up he cut Irises, which represented hope. Another flower that meant hope was the Snowdrop, which could also mean consolation. He felt this double meaning worked in the situation, and he cut some of those as well. His final flowers were Forget-Me-Nots, which seemed self explanatory, and a cutting of Wisteria, which represented welcoming. He hoped that ‘welcome’ would represent the desire for this hero to return. 

He held the cuttings in a basket. Sunflowers, Poppies, Irises, Snowdrops, Forget-Me-Nots, and Wisteria were all together. Their many colors were bright and cheerful, quite unlike the bouquet he’d given Tokoyami that morning. Black roses were often a symbol of death, so if he’d given those to Detective Tsukauchi it would have had a very different meaning. This wasn’t a bouquet to say “goodbye” or “we will remember you fondly.” It was one that said “we love you, and we hope you come back soon.” 

He brought them all back to the castle and placed them in water for the time being. He would arrange them properly and give them a fancy ribbon tomorrow when he was at work. With his finger in this state he wasn’t sure he could tie a bow on it anyways. He should definitely get that checked out by Shouto, but before that he had some words to say to these flowers. 

“You are the most important flower bouquet I am putting together. Your job is not merely to last as long as all the others, but also to be a signal for Detective Tsukauchi’s husband to return home safely. Please bring him back for all of us. I know it’s a lot of pressure, but you are lovely flowers and I know you can do it.” 

He wasn’t sure if his talking magic would really bring someone back home or not, and there was always a chance that his husband was too far gone to find, but if Izuku could do something about it, he would give it his best. _‘I promise I’ll do my best to reunite you with your husband, detective,”_ Izuku swore.

・・・・・

After a long first day at work, Izuku decided t head to bed. He’d all but forgotten his finger at this point, The stinging pain was just a minor inconvenience he had to face. He walked up the steps past Shinsou and the first floor. All he cared about at this point was his bed and falling asleep in his partner’s arms. He walked into their shared bedroom and found that Shouto was sitting on the bed reading something. It was a book labeled ‘death curses,’ which gave Izuku chills just looking at. 

“H-hi Shouto,” he said quietly. The wizard looked up at him and smiled as if he weren’t reading such a sinister novel. His eyes lit up when he saw Izuku, like he was the best thing he’d seen all day.

“Hello Izuku, did you have a good day at work? You … actually you look exhausted, are you alright?” 

“Me? I’m fine, just a bit tired. I had a long day, and someone came to the saddest story today. It got me a bit down.” 

“What did he say?” 

“His husband went missing and he wanted a bouquet to put at a shrine for him. He said he’s not giving up hope and … well … as if that story wasn’t sad enough it reminded me of my mother and father. She used to stare at the door a lot when I was young, as if she was expecting him to come back one day and everything would be fine. I could see the same look in this man’s eyes.” 

“Izuku, I’m so sorry,” the wizard whispered as he got up to comfort him. 

“It’s fine. I made the bouquet, and I’m proud of it. I didn’t tie it up yet thought because … there’s something wrong with my finger. I must have done something to it when I cast that healing spell. I … might have broken a finger again.” 

Shouto moved back a little and gently took Izuku’s have in his own to inspect the damage. Izuku noticed that purple bruises had started to form down the length of the finger now. It was evidently getting worse the more he let it go untreated. 

“It’s definitely fractured. Can you move it at all?” 

“I can, but it hurts,” Izuku said. He clenched his jaw as he tried to demonstrate the finger movements. Shouto stopped him. 

“It’s alright, don’t put anymore stress on it.” 

“R-right.” 

“Stay here a moment, I’ll be right back,” said the wizard as he rushed downstairs. 

While Izuku was alone he went to lay down on the bed. He felt tired from working and it must have only been about five hours past noon. He curled up on the bed and hugged a pillow to his chest as he stared at the book Shouto had left there. It was a deep blue leatherbound book with white text along the spine and cover. It didn’t seem nearly gloomy enough of a cover to be about killing spells. 

He closed his eyes and when he opened them again his head was resting on Shouto’s lap. He was holding Izuku’s hand while he wrapped the injured finger in a splint. Izuku murmured a little as he tried to take in his surroundings properly. 

“Oh, you’re awake. Sorry, I wanted to get this done but I didn’t want to wake you up. I healed the bruising and some of the pain should be gone, but I couldn’t heal the bone. You’ll have to do that on your own with calcium and time.” 

“Uuugh,” Izuku complained sleepily. “Is this something that normally happens?” 

“No. I’ve never seen someone injure themselves with their own spell. I can think of two possible reasons you could have been hurt. No, three actually.” 

“What are they?” 

“Well, it’s possible that my father put some clause in your curse that if you tried to heal me you’d get hurt yourself. I don’t think that’s as likely because he shouldn’t have known you had magic. Still, I have to consider it as a possibility. My second theory is similar, but doesn’t involve my father. You could have been injured because you took the pain from my body and put it into yours. That’s not how the spell usually works, but with you everything seems to be different.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Please, don’t apologize,” the wizard said softly as he finished wrapping the finger and cupped Izuku’s cheek instead. He leaned over and gently pressed his lips to those of the man laying in his lap. Izuku’s eyes fluttered closed as he took in the sensation, completely distracted from any remaining pain that was in his finger at this point. The way he kissed him was slow, like he was trying to explore every inch of Izuku’s mouth. When the wizard pulled away, he felt disoriented again and had to remind himself what they’d been talking about before. 

“Y-you were saying, Shouto?” 

“Magic doesn’t always seem to work the same for you. I’m unsure why, but you’re different from everything I’ve been taught magic should be. You’re unpredictable, but I wouldn’t have you any other way, Izuku.” 

“I … I meant what were you saying about me stealing your pain actually … Still, thank you,” he whispered bashfully. 

“I know, but I needed to tell you, Izuku. I …” He paused, as if the words he was trying to say wouldn't come out. He hesitated. He seemed to be trying to think about what he would say, there was uncertainty in his expression. “You’re the best boyfriend I could ask for.”

“So I’m your boyfriend?” 

“Only if you’d like to be,” the wizard said with a smile as he played with Izuku’s hair. 

“If I’m your boyfriend will you give me a second kiss?” 

Shouto rolled his eyes, but leaned down anyways. He planted a briefer kiss on Izuku’s lips, but this time he bit his boyfriend’s lower lip as well. He remembered Izuku enjoying that the first time they’d kissed. When he pulled away and saw how red Izuku’s face was he knew he’d done well. 

“Was that satisfactory?” 

Izuku could only nod enthusiastically, as he was too embarrassed. 

“We should get back to talking about your injuries. Kisses can wait, Izuku.” 

“R-right! Sure!” 

“So it’s possible that you took the injuries from my body into your own, but I don’t think that’s the case. You had bruises just like I had, but I didn’t have any broken bones and you do. The injuries should be on the same level if you truly did take my injures. That leads me to believe it’s a third option.” 

“What would the third option be?” 

“Your body isn’t used to casting. When you cast something other than talking magic, you’re trying to make the spells too powerful. You’ve never cast something like this before, while most wizards have training on how to handle their magic while they’re still in school. You’re trying to use your full magical power in each spell, and the recoil of doing so is too much to endure right now. You’re using one hundred percent of your magical potential, but you can only handle probably five percent.” 

“What? Are you sure?” 

“Yes. You’re a rare case. I’ve never met anyone who could talk magic into things before. It’s both a versatile and formidable skill. You have a unique gift but you also have never actually tried to cast before this past week. It seems you don’t know your own strength, and it’s backfiring when you try and do anything but talking magic.” 

“So do you think I’ll break more fingers if I try to cast other spells as well?” 

“I’m almost certain. I would try and avoid casting spells outside of your domain for a while.” 

“But,” Izuku sighed. “I just wanted to learn more useful skills. I want to be able to help you in the fight against your father.” 

“Izuku, you’ve already helped me so much. I’m trying to come to terms with my fire magic thanks to you, and who knows what would have happened if you hadn’t saved me during that fight? Plus, if it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have my mother back. You help me so much every day, even without magic. You don’t have to break any more bones for my sake.” 

“What if I want to break bones for my own sake?” 

“You’re the furthest thing from a selfish person that I know. You’re also a terrible liar, by the way.” 

He pouted, but the wizard just chuckled. 

“I am a wonderful liar,” he assured himself. 

“You should go back to sleep, Izuku,” Shouto said, ignoring that last comment. “It’ll help you heal.” 

“Will you stay with me? I know it’s a bit early to sleep, but I don’t want to be alone right now.” 

“Alright, I’ll stay with you.” 

They settled into a sleeping position. Shouto’s book was moved to the nightstand, and he lay on his back on one side of the bed. Izuku rested his head on his chest, listening to its rise and fall and every intake of breath. Izuku should have noticed the lack of beating heart inside, but he was tired and in love so he didn’t notice things that others might have caught on to. He rested his injured hand in a position where it wouldn’t be hurt further if either of them shifted in their sleep, and he rested the other on his boyfriend’s stomach. As he lay there, he was thankful that he’d gotten to meet Shouto that day. He couldn’t help but feel his life would be very different if he’d simply gone to the market an hour later. 

“Shouto,” he whispered. “I love you.” 

He looked up to see his boyfriend’s reaction, but he seemed to already be asleep. Izuku sighed. _‘It’s probably best that he didn’t hear me. I don’t think he’s ready to say it back anyways. I’d only make him feel bad.’_


	19. Safehouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something in the castle is drawing the scarecrow to it, but what could it be? Izuku and Shouto are unsure, but the wizard has decided he will get to the bottom of this scarecrow business one way or another.

Izuku woke up the next morning to find the other side of his bed empty and the noise of the shower running. _‘Shouto is up already it seems,’_ he noticed. He propped himself up in bed and looked around the room for a brief moment before he got up to go downstairs. The floor was cool on his feet, and he thought that maybe he should have asked Shouto to make a carpet for their bedroom when he was redoing the castle. 

He traveled down the steps one at a time. In his youth he would have bounded down them, maybe he would have even skipped every other step. Alas, his body wasn’t in the shape it had been before. Old bones didn’t handle stairs as well as young ones did. There was joint pain, and Izuku probably should be more careful to keep from breaking any more bones. _‘I should get plenty of calcium into my diet so my bones don’t get even more brittle.’_ he decided. 

However, before he had a chance to get a slice of cheese or a bottle of milk, he was startled by a scratching noise at the door. He nearly jumped, but gathered himself together enough to grab his walking stick instead. He readied it like a weapon in case there was some sort of unsavory character at the door like Bakugo, or the Scarecrow, or Endeavor. In all honesty, Izuku wouldn’t have hit Bakugo or Endeavor with his stick. It wouldn’t do much against them anyways? 

He opened the door to the wastes cautiously. Luckily, it wasn’t either of those two. Tragically, it seemed to be the scarecrow after all. Izuku was too surprised and confused to hit it with the stick. He snapped back to reality and thought. _‘What can I do to sent this creature away?’_

“Leave me alone!” Izuku realized as he was saying the words that they could be a spell. “I’m not home! You can’t see me!” 

He considered himself quite clever for figuring out he could trick the scarecrow like that. He settled down by the fire to make himself breakfast. He had eggs and sausages in the frying pan that the fire demon was heating up for him and all seemed to be setting up for a lovely morning. 

He moved the food from the pan and onto plated when he was disturbed once more. A scraping and banging against the door caused him to nearly drop an egg on the floor. He opened the door, clearly frustrated that his clever spell didn’t work as well as he’d thought it would. 

“Leave this place and don’t come back,” he commanded. “Go any direction but here and hop ten times faster than before!” 

He wasn’t sure if the spell had failed because its duration wore off or because he wasn’t specific enough, so he covered all the bases. If he needed to be specific, the creature wouldn’t come back here. If it wore off, the creature would be going very fast in the opposite direction before it realized the mistake. 

He slammed the door, and just then Shouto came walking down the stairs. His hair was dry and he looked fresh. Izuku could smell lavender wafting off him from the distance they were at. He wasn’t sure if it was a phantom smell or if his boyfriend’s body wash just smelled that strong. Either way, it was comforting in the wake of the scarecrow’s disturbing visitation. 

“Good morning, Shouto!”

“Good morning. Was someone at the door just now?” 

“Um … yes. That scarecrow that showed up a while ago was back. I told him to run away and not come back, so hopefully he’ll leave us alone.”

“Why are you so scared of a that thing?” 

“It shouldn’t be moving on its own, and that alone is creepy. Plus, it looks like All Might but in the most unsettling way! It’s all skeletal and the face is too gaunt and the smile looks strained. He looks like a rendition of All Might done by someone who’d never seen All Might aside from one of the drawings I did when I was two! Also the first time it came to the castle it tried to get into the castle and I learned then that it’s very agile and strong!”

“I suppose those are valid enough reasons, but have you tried talking with it?”

“I can talk to it but it can’t respond. It’s mouth isn’t real. It’s just carved into the turnip that makes up the being’s head.” 

“That does sound unsettling. Still, if it does show up again I want you to come get me. I’ll make sure it’s not one of my father’s spies.” 

“Oh, right. You said he has minions he uses.” 

“Sometimes, yes. Those mostly look like real people, not scarecrows. He used to make ones that looked and acted like famous wizards for me to have to fight. Other times he would invent people to do chores for him.” 

“Is that what the man who showed me the book with the full curse in it was? Was he just a puppet of your father’s?” 

“No, I don’t think so. He’s either a real person or … something else.” 

_‘That’s not suspicious at all, Shouto._

“Well, if the scarecrow comes back,” Izuku said. “I’ll be sure to give you a shout.” 

“Thank you.” 

“I wonder what could be drawing him to the house. Is he after you, me, the castle, Shinsou, Rei, or something else? I suppose he could be after me, since I was the one who released him from his bush prison in the first place. In fact, maybe he was put there for a reason. Maybe I should have just left him there to protect the world from his malicious deeds. ” 

“Izuku, I highly doubt this scarecrow is that evil. At its worst it’s a puppet of my father’s. That would mean it’s a victim just like the rest of us.” 

“Right.” 

“Are you making breakfast for everyone?” 

“Yea. I wanted to make a large meal for us to share. I only got so far before I was interrupted.” 

“Here,” said Shouto as he took the pan and filled it with more eggs and sausage than Izuku would have thought could fit into a pan that size.” 

“Is that a magic trick you’re using to cook so many things at once?” 

The wizard smiled softly as if he were about to laugh. 

“No, Izuku. It’s just a regular trick. My older sister used to make meals for the whole family when she still lived with us. She taught me how to cook a lot of food in a little time with minimal dish usage.” 

“You have a sister?” 

“Oh … I suppose I’ve never mentioned Fuyumi to you, have i?” 

“No. What happened to her?” 

“She’s a lot older than I am. My father … he uses magic to make himself seem younger than he really is. He has three other children, but I never met my older brothers. They’d left the house by the time I came around. Fuyumi was only there until i was about six, and then she left.” 

“Your father just let your other siblings go? So then why is he so adamant about holding onto you?” 

“My brothers and sister weren’t the same as me. Father used to tell me they ‘belonged to a different world.’ They got to leave for school, while I was homeschooled until I was eight. I only got to go to a private school after that. They had friends and I was locked away in my room to study or in the training room to hone my skills. It was because each of them only had one magical focus, either ice or fire. He considered them not worthy of his training, and kept trying to make the perfect hybrid of his power and my mother’s.” 

“That’s horrible. He really only had children to make a successor?” 

“Are you so surprised? He calls me his ‘masterpiece.’ To him I’m just a weapon, not a flesh and blood living thing.” 

“I’m not surprised, I’m disgusted. Do you know what happened to your older siblings? Do you think you could get their help? Why aren’t they also trying to fight your father?” 

“They never saw him at his worst. He his true identity from the world, so most people only know him as Endeavor, not Enji Todoroki. My siblings knew he was a bad person but they didn’t know his true crimes. Mother and I are the only ones who got to see both sides of him. It always pissed me of having to watch him pretend to be a loving father in front of others, and then watch that veil drop the second we got back home.” 

“Your siblings never noticed?” 

“He didn’t treat them well either, so they were all focused on getting out of his life as fast as they could.” 

“I just … can’t imagine someone leaving you behind like that.” 

“You weren’t there. I don’t hold it against them that they wanted to leave and have nothing to do with my father. I’m sure they’re halfway across the world by now. If I wasn’t trying to save my mother as well, I’d have probably have done the same.” 

“I’m sorry Shouto. You deserve a world where you don’t have to live in fear of him.”

“I don’t want to be afraid of him. I want to kill him so no one else has to go through this.” 

That must have been what the book upstairs was about. He’d been reading up on spells that might be powerful enough to destroy his father. Izuku usually thought that killing people was wrong, but in cases like this what other choice did they have? If they let him live, he wouldn’t give them the same mercy. Destroying Endeavor was their only chance at a peaceful future … for both Shouto and the kingdom.

“It’s alright to be afraid, Shouto. Bravery is being afraid, but taking action anyways. You’ve been fighting him so long even though you’re scared. You are the bravest person I know, Shouto.”

Izuku remembered thinking the same thing when they’d first met and Shouto had ignored Bakugo. It was rare to find someone who didn’t let Bakugo intimidate them. He looked over at Shouto, who was smiling. It was a sad smile, like the ones that his mother wore when she was in her human form. It made Izuku sad to think that for so long, his mother was all he’d had. He supposed he had been the same way before he met Uraraka and Iida. 

He realized he was staring at his boyfriend, and told himself to stop, but he couldn’t force himself to do that. He only managed when there was suddenly a loud scratching at the door. He looked to the fire demon for answers. 

“It’s a different door this time, but I can’t detect anything flesh and blood. It’s probably him again.” 

“Oh no,” Izuku whispered. “I … did enchant him to go away from the castle faster. He must have used that power to get to a different castle door.” 

“I suppose it’s time to go see what could possibly scare you so bad you’re hiding in here, Izuku.” 

“What do you mean? I’m scared of a lot of things.” 

“Says the person who talked back to my father even though he was threatening your life. It’s unusual for you to show such self preservation instincts, so evidently this scarecrow is terrifying.” 

“I resent that statement I’ll have you know.” 

“Is it not true?” 

He couldn’t argue with that. 

Shouto approached the door and pulled it open swiftly. On the other side there was a tall and beat up scarecrow that loosely resembled the professional wizard, All Might. The creature’s permanent smile and hollow eyes glared down at Shouto, as well as Izuku who was hiding behind his boyfriend. 

“Be careful, Shouto.” 

The wizard nodded, and then turned to the creature who stood before him. 

“Why are you here? What purpose do you have for trying to break into my house?” 

….The creature was silent. 

“I command you to speak, if you’re able,” Shouto continued, to no avail. “I see you can’t talk in this form. You seem to be under a powerful curse, probably my father’s doing just like every other one in this household. It is too powerful for me to break, but if I can only …” 

His words strained as he brought a hand up to the scarecrow. He seemed to be fighting an invisible force that was trying to prevent magically tampering with this creature. Still, Shouto wasn’t about to be stopped by the likes of that. He spread his fingers, and then clenched them into a fist and pulled backwards, as if he were pulling a heavy invisible blanket off the scarecrow. The being started to shake, like it was trying to hold itself in the form it was currently in. Shouto’s power was nearly transforming it, and Izuku was impressed. He’d never witnessed a curse being broken before. 

The magical energy around Shouto caused his hair to start changing colors at will. The red side fluctuate with every color of the rainbow, while the white side seemed to mirror its counterpart but in pastel versions. Tiny lights danced all around the wizard, and even more danced around the scarecrow. Izuku could swear he heard a light chanting coming from the walls. Shouto’s face displayed how much he was truly struggling to break this curse. He closed his eyes and winced in either pain or frustration. 

Suddenly, both the wizard and the scarecrow were sent backwards by the force of the magic failing. The magical lights and colors that were dancing around them faded, leaving Shouto the same as he’d been before but probably with some bruises and sores from the force of the fall. The scarecrow seemed unchanged as well, and Izuku watched as it got up again. He couldn’t care about that, instead he rushed to Shouto’s side. 

“Are you okay? Did it hurt you?” 

“No, I’m more or less fine. It was just the curse rejecting my attempt to change it. I may not have returned this creature to its previous form, but I felt something change in it. Let’s go find out what that was.” 

He walked into the garden where the creature was now standing. It hopped over to try and get in the door again, but Shouo put up a hand and the being froze in place. 

“Can you speak?” 

The creature struggled for a moment, but Izuku noticed the carved on smile twitch a little. It could move its face! The creature seemed unable to open its mouth, but it could make noises with it anyways. 

“I … I can speak. Who are you? Where is this?” 

“It’s just as I thought. Not only is this a person under a transfiguration spell, but he’s also been put under some sort of haze. My name is Shouto Todoroki and you’re in my garden. Do you know who you are, or why you were sent here?” 

“My name … I don’t remember it. I don’t remember who made me into what I am, but I know I was something else before … I am unsure what. I was drawn here by something. There is a force in this castle that is drawing me to it. I must get inside, I am compelled to.” 

“What force?” 

“A spell is drawing me specifically here. I do not know more.” 

“I command you,” Izuku spoke, “To ignore that spell. You don’t need to come inside the castle. Whatever is drawing you here has no power over you.” 

“That was well done, Izuku, but now we don’t know what was bringing him in.” 

“No, but now he’ll stop trying to break in and you can release him.” 

Shotuo did as he was asked, and the being hopped up and down lightly. 

“Thank you. What is your name? I have seen you before.” 

“My name is Izuku Midoriya.” 

“Well, Young Midoriya, thank you.” 

“You can tell I’m young?” 

“I get the feeling you are. I am unsure why.” 

“Shouto, I think we should keep him here for a while. We can’t be sure he doesn’t have some sort of scrying spell on him, so we shouldn’t let him into the castle itself. Still, we can’t abandon him.” 

“I agree. He’s another one of my father’s victims. It is my duty to take care of him.” 

With that, Shouto set the creature up in the little cottage by the edge of the flower field. He told it to stay there, and not to let anyone in if they weren’t himself or Izuku. 

It was the first time Izuku had actually gone in the cottage. From what Shouto had said it was more of a safehouse than a cottage. The door had several locks and the room inside was scrawled with all sorts of sigils and protection spells. There were several tokens and sachets hanging from the ceiling. Izuku assumed these were for the same purpose. It was the first glimpse that Izuku got at what Shouto’s life was like when he was just a child on the run. He must have been so scared and lonely, not knowing if his mother was alright or if his father would catch up to him any day. 

The whole place was one room with a door that led to a small bathroom. The left side had a twin bed, a nightstand, and a desk and chair combination. It seemed like it hadn’t been touched in years. The bed was now only home to only spiders. The desk had a space to house books, but evidently Shouto had taken them all into the castle at some point. There was only a dry ink well and a quill now. 

The right half had a small fireplace. On it were intricate carvings like the one currently in the castle. Shouto had probably based the new hearth off this one. There were some old logs set up next to it, and a shelf that housed pots and pans. The shelf above it had been home to food at one time, but had long since been cleared out. The whole place looked like Shouto had only lived here for a while, two months tops, before he’d made his contract with Shinsou and formed the castle. That didn’t mean it wasn’t an important part of both Shouto and Rei’s pasts. 

“Are you alright? Being back here I mean … you look a little sad,” Izuku whispered to his boyfriend. 

“Yes, I’m fine. I always knew I’d come back here eventually. I told myself that if all other places to go were not safe anymore I’d always have this place. My mother and I have both put a lot of spells on this place over the years. I can even sense spells from the people she inherited the house from as well. It’s old, and old magic has a sort of power that can’t be recreated. Izuku … if it ever comes to the point that you can’t turn anywhere else… if I can’t protect you anymore ... please remember that this place will protect you.” 

“T-thank you Shouto, but it won’t come to that,” there was an intense determination in his voice that almost managed to convince the wizard. “We’ll always be here to protect each other.” 

・・・・・

They left the All Might look alike in the cottage, and Izuku went back to work. He brought the bouquet of flowers for the detective down into the shop where he tied matching ribbons around it. He tried to match the colors of the flowers. Yellow for the sunflowers, white for the snowdrops, red for the poppies, and blue for the irises. Together the bouquet looked cheerful and more importantly hopeful. He admired his handiwork for a moment before he placed the bouquet in an empty vase on the countertop. He wanted the detective to see it right when he walked in. 

He sat at the counter waiting for customers to arrive, and so they did. The first person into the shop that day was the french bakery worker who had been in the day before. He greeted Izuku with a ‘bonjour’ and he requested a second orchid since his plant was going to get lonely. Izuku happily obliged, and the monsieur departed happily. The next customer was a man with a tail who just wanted a simple plant to take care of. Izuku gave him some potted ivy that should be easy enough to take care of. He had some other customers over the day, but he seemed to stop paying attention after a while. He was waiting for the detective to come back for his flowers. 

The bouquet that Izuku had made for the detective got a lot of compliments from those who came in, and many were delighted to find Izuku took requests for custom bouquets. A couple customers told him they would be back some other day with custom orders. He nodded and told them he looked forward to it, but if he was being truthful he wasn’t counting on it. 

FInally, the shop hours were coming to a close and Detective Tsukauchi walked in. He had that same kind smile that he’s worn the day before, and he took off his hat when he approached the counter. Upon seeing the bouquet, his jaw dropped. 

“Is … is this my order?” 

Izuku got nervous. Was it not what he’d wanted? Had he expected white lilies or black roses or something more traditional? Oh no, he’d messed up, hadn’t he? 

“Y-yes it is. I’m sorry I wanted to make something that represented hopefulness rather than mourning, but if you want something else I can make you a new-”

“It’s perfect,” was all the detective said. His eyes were watering as he looked at the bundle of flowers as he took it in his hands. “It even has his colors.” 

“Really? I just went with what felt right.” 

“Yes. It’s a beautiful arrangement, you did a wonderful job. He would love them, I’m sure. It’s obvious you put a lot of thought into your work.” 

“Your story really moved me. I hope your husband comes home soon, detective.” 

“Thank you. I hope so as well. I’m not the only one who needs him. He is a pretty powerful wizard, and with all the Endeavor sightings around we need him more now than ever.”

“What is your husband like? If you don’t mind me asking that is-”

“It’s fine,” said the detective. There was a fondness in his eyes as he thought about his husband. “He’s kind and strong, both emotionally and physically. He always made sure to smile now matter how bad life got. He told me if he was smiling, others would know everything was fine. That’s why I’m trying to smile still, even without him by my side anymore. He wouldn’t want people to be sad that he’s gone.”

“He sounds like a wonderful man. Was he inspired by All Might? They seem to have very similar ideals.” 

The detective laughed at that. 

“Yes, I suppose you could say that. Are you a fan?” 

“He was always my idol growing up. Actually, I still have a handmade All Might that stands over my bed. My mom told me it would fight away my bad dreams.” 

“Wait, how old are you exactly?” 

“I ... “

“You’re under a spell, aren’t you? I’m sorry. And here I’ve been going on about my own hardships.” 

“No, it’s fine! We all have problems in our lives. I can’t tell people I’m under a spell unless they already know about it, but since you figured it out I can tell you that I’m not really eighty years old. I’m really eighteen, that’s why I’ve looked up to All Might my whole life. It would be impossible for an eighty year old to have grown up looking to him as an idol.” 

“I suppose since you’re being honest with me, I owe you the same. My husband … his name is Toshinori Yagi. He’s not just any local hero he’s … actually rather well known under his hero alias.” 

“Wait, where have I heard that name before.” Izuku knew it was familiar, but he couldn’t figure out why. 

“Well, what do I owe you for the flowers?” 

“Oh, you don’t owe me any more! I feel bad taking your money.”

“Please, I’m sure you have people who depend on you. There’s no shame in accepting payment for a job well done,” he said as he offered more silver pieces to Izuku. At least he hadn’t overpaid him as much as Tokoyami had, but it was still more than Izuku wanted to charge for flowers. Unfortunately, there was no arguing with the detective. 

“Thank you, detective.” 

“No, thank you. I’m sure my husband would love these, and hopefully when he returns I can show them to him.” 

“I hope so too. Take care.” 

“You as well. Stay safe.” 

With that, Izuku closed up the shop and went upstairs to his bedroom where he kept his wizard notebooks. There had to be something in there about the name the name that Detective Tsukauchi had given him. Why was Toshinori Yagi so familiar? Izuku was going to find out.


	20. What Lies Hidden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I lost internet in my house these past 2 days so I'm at my college lounge posting and editing this chapter! The things I do for art! I was passing by anyways so it's not out of the way. Anyways editing without internet for 2 days means I may have missed some typos or grammatical errors so I hope it's all set! Enjoy!

Izuku figured he must have fallen asleep at some point because he woke up when he felt Shouto leaving. He’d stayed up that night looking for more details abut what Detective Tsukauchi had said, but based on the notebook next to him on the bed he’d passed out in the middle of it. Now it was dark in the room, and he could only see what the moonlight touched. Izuku saw movement, the white of his boyfriend’s hair and the pale coloring of his shirt. He briefly caught a glimpse of the wizard’s face, and he looked sad. Izuku leaned over to comfort him but before he could Shouto got up and started moving away. 

“Shouto, are you going somewhere?” 

There was no response. Instead, he walked towards the door that led downstairs. It wasn’t unusual for Shouto to get up in the middle of the night, but it was definitely unusual for him to not answer him. 

“Hey, Shouto? Are you alright?” 

Still no response. He didn’t even seem to register the words. Izuku’s heart started to pound. He scrambled out of bed to try and follow him. He watched his boyfriend walk past the curtain that lined their bedroom door, and it fall behind him. Izuku ran behind, and pushed the curtain out of his way urgently.

As soon as he walked through it, he was downstairs in the castle’s main room. Before him he saw Shouto turning the door handle to the black knob, and pulling the door open slowly. He raced over to try and stop him, but just as he got there the wizard slipped through his fingers. Izuku found himself unsure if he had actually physically touched him or not. _‘Where is he going? Is it his father’s spell? But he hasn’t encountered the mandrake or the wind yet, how could this be?’_

There was only on way to find out. He opened the door wide and ran after Shouto. The air inside was cool, and Izuku found himself shivering in his pajamas. He wished he’d worn socks, or even thought to grab his shaw, but he also had bigger problems to worry about. There was no turning back now. 

“Shouto, are you in here? I can’t see a thing, it’s so dark. Please tell me where you are,” he called out. 

His words echoed around him as if he were in a fishbowl. For all he knew, that was what the black door led to. It was one of the many things the wizard still had yet to explain. _‘That’s fine! He doesn’t have to tell me everything! Still, I do wish I knew. He probably thinks that hiding things like this are for my own protection, but in reality it just puts me in more danger.’_

He heart a dripping noise, like water fall in in a distant cave. His legs started moving without permission. He kept running and running until he saw a faint light in the distance, then he ran even faster. It grew brighter and closer. He knew it would be before him soon enough. The closer he got to the ight, the more he could see his surroundings. There were walls around him were like a tunnel that had been dug into the earth around them, and the soil was filled with things belonging to Shouto. Clothing, books, magical trinkets, potions, and jewelry were all sticking out of the dirt. His hand reached out to the wall and picked out a small silver necklace with a locket on the end. It was cold, like it had been frozen. It was not unlike the one he wore every day, only a different color and different contents. Instead of showign the Midoriyas, it was a portrait of the Todoroki family. Shouto was swaddled in a blanket in his mother’s arms, while she looked like she was trying not to cry. Enji was had his arm around her shoulder, and it reminded Izuku of the way he’d guided him to the palace. There were three other children with them, two boys and a girl. _‘What is going on here?’_

He took the locket and clasped it around his neck where his own was supposed to be. He ran faster than before towards the light. He noticed a figure standing by the side of the fire. It was Shouto. He didn’t know how he knew, he couldn’t see the man’s face or his hair, it just was him. 

“Shouto, I’m here. What’s the matter?” 

“Izuku? What are you doing here?” 

“I was worried about you.” 

“No, it’s not safe here, you need to go.” 

“But where is this place? Why isn’t it safe? Where are you going?” 

“I have to go back home, and you should too.” 

“What? No, you can’t go!” He was crying again, and he saw his tears floating around him like the gravity around him wouldn’t let them fall. He reached out to take SHouto’s hand, btu it was colder than he’d ever felt it before. He tugged at it, trying to no avail to pull him back the way he’d came in. “I won’t let him take you.” 

“It’s too late Izuku.” 

“No, it’s not! I’ll break your contract and I’ll free you from the curse! I promised, didn’t I?” 

“You can’t even break your own curse, how do you expect to help me?” 

“Shouto,” Izuku whispered through his tears. Was that really how he felt? Of course, after all this time Izuku still wasn’t good enough. He should have known. Why would Shouto love someone like him? He was useless and plain and old. He was a failure, and even with magic he could do nothing to save himself or the man he loved. “Please, don’t do this.” 

Shouto’s cold hand slipped out of his own, and when Izuku tried to reach out again the wizard was just out of reach. He took a step after him, but felt his legs give out underneath him. _‘No, not now! I can’t give up!’_ But in spite of his protests, his body wouldn’t move nay further. He collapsed beside the fire, staring into its depths. Its light was fading quickly, as if it couldn’t survive without Shouto, but there was more. There was an object inside the fire, and Izuku couldn’t help but reach out to try and grab it. He had seconds before the fire went out, and his hand was about to reach-

“Izuku,” he heard echo through the whole place. It was soft, unlike the tone he’d heard from his boyfriend a moment ago. Where was it coming from? He felt a hand touch his shoulder and shake him, but he couldn’t see anything anymore. It called out to him again, and suddenly he felt his eyes open. 

The dark world around him disappeared, and instead he was in his own bed again and the sun seemed to be just rising. The warm bright light filled the room and wrapped around Shouto, who was leaning over him and shaking his shoulder in an attempt to wake him. Izuku looked into teh wizard’s eyes and saw fear and concern.

“Izuku, wake up. Are you alright?” 

“I … I was sleeping?” 

“Yes. I heard you muttering,so I woke up, and when I saw you .. you were crying. I coudn’t hear exactly what you were saying but I think I heard my name a few times.” 

He brought a hand up to his face and felt that in fact he had been crying. The pillow he’d been clutching was damp as well. It had all been a dream? No, it had been a nightmare. Either way, it wasn’t real and that’s what mattered to Izuku. He surged forward and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, pulling him close. Shouto had to catch himself before he fell onto him, but Izuku didn’t mind almost getting crushed. 

He sobbed into the wizard’s shoulder, and Shouto’s arms wrapped around him, pulling him into a more stable position. Now Izuku was leaning on Shouto’s chest, and the wizard was on his back. They both held each other close while small sobs escaped Izuku’s lips. He clung onto his boyfriend like a lifeline.

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

Izuku was surprised to hear Shouto offer to talk about the issue. He wasn’t one to talk about emotional problems. He’d rather ignore them as long as he could. Evidently he was deeply concerned, nothing like the version of him that was in the nightmare.

“It felt so real,” Izuku whispered. 

“What happened?” 

“I had a dream where you left. I ran after you, and we were in some sort of cave and you were far away. When I finally caught up to you … you …” He sobbed again. 

“Did I … do something wrong?” Shouto sounded concerned. He was worried about how his boyfriend was, but also scared to find out what this subconscious interpretation of him had done.

“You told me I couldn’t hope to help you if I couldn’t break my own curse.” 

“Izuku-” 

“I thought for a moment that you actually felt that way. I thought I was just useless and you could never love me back because I wasn’t good enough.” 

He was too emotionally overcome to notice the phrase ‘love me back’ slip out. It seemed Shotuo didn’t question it either, since he didn’t bring it up. 

“You couldn’t be further from the truth. I would never say that. Izuku, you’re perfect” 

“But I’m not.” 

“You are to me,” Shouto whispered. It was so soft that Izuku almost missed it through his own sobbing. It didn’t stop his crying, but it made him feel better. They spent a good while just laying there like that as Izuku tired himself out/ He needed to get rid of all the feelings he’d piled up from that nightmare. Shouto rubbed his back and played with his hair and whispered to him about how much he important he was, and how he would never leave him as long as he could. 

・・・・・

Shouto had eventually suggested they go downstairs and eat breakfast. He knew he always felt fatigued after nightmares like that. The addrenline leaving him made his body feel like limp noodles. He’d guided his boyfriend down the stairs and sat him by the table while he cooked. 

He wanted something fun to cheer Izuku up with, so he’d settled on making French toast, and using magic to make the maple syrup on it cute things that his boyfriend would like. One had a heart on it, while another had a little plant. They would burst when Izuku’s fork made contact with them, but the smile on his face when he first noticed was worth the extra effort. 

After they ate, Izuku went around doing morning chores. He washed the dishes, while Shouto stood by and dried them off. Next he went about watering the plants. There were a few of them outside and inside. At that moment, Izuku was watering the one he’d saved from the bathtub drain. It was fully flowering, and Shouto had to agree it looked nice. His boyfriend had done a good job. 

“So, Izuku, I think I’ll help out in the shop for a while if you’d like.” 

“Really?” 

“Yea. With your hurt finger,” _and your emotional state_ “I think you could use the help and company.” 

“Well, if you insist I’d be happy to have you. Maybe you’ll get to meet some of the regulars!” 

“You already have regulars? I didn’t think the shop had been open for that long.” 

“Mhm! There’s a french guy from the bakery who has bought two orchids, then there’s a man with a bird head who I can tell is going to come back. There’s also that detective I mentioned who is looking for his- Oh my god!” 

Izuku suddenly remembered the night before. He’d been so preoccupied with the nightmare he’d totally forgotten his research. The detective had said his husband’s name was Toshinori Yagi, and so Izuku had stayed up late that night going through notebook after notebook looking for that name. He’d finally come across a page in Wizard Notebook No. 8, Chapter 12, entitled ‘Weekly Rumors.’ It had read, “Possible true name for All Might discovered.” And that name was none other than what the detective had told him. 

It was only a rumor he’d heard when he was younger, and he had no way of fact checking but it seemed to make sense. He remembered the detective saying the colors of the bouquet were those of his husband. All Might’s Royal Wizard outfit had been the same colors. The wizard had also gone missing around the same time as Detective Tsukauchi’s husband had, and he too was a hero who was greatly needed. 

In his shock, Izuku loosened his grip on the watering pail and it fell to the floor, but not before it took the plant he was watering down with it. They both crashed to the ground spraying dirt, water, plant matter, and broken bits of terra-cotta everywhere. 

Izuku cupped his hands over his mouth in surprise at the commotion he’d made. Shouto immediately went to comfort his boyfriend. 

“Are you alright?”

“Fine! I just came to a sudden realization. That detective that I mentioned? Well he told me the name of his missing husband. It sounded so familiar, but I couldn’t think of why until I went through old hero notebooks and saw it. The husband is named Toshinori Yagi … which is one of the names suspected to be All Might’s true identity!” 

“Really? Are you sure?” 

“I can’t think of why he would lie to me. He seemed honest, and I can’t think of any reason he’d have malicious intent unless he was working for your father, which I doubt he is. He didn’t ask nearly enough about you to be one of your father’s henchmen. Plus, he seemed legitimately concerned when he realized I was under a spell.” 

“He might just be a good actor, but I don’t doubt your instincts. I trust you, and anyone with magic as intuitive as yours is likely to have good hunches.”

“So he really is married to All Might?” 

“I’d say so. I never met All Might, but I know he kept his personal life very secretive. He probably wouldn’t want evil wizards to know he has a family in case they would become a liability. My father certainly wouldn’t hesitate to use it to his advantage.” 

“Huh. I … didn’t mean to make such a mess. I’ll have to clean it up,” he said as he started walking towards the closet that held cleanign supplies. He was stopped by his boyfriend who smugly put a hand on his chest.

“Please, allow me.” 

He raised a hand and motioned as if he were gently scooping up a baby bird. As he did so the mess that had been created all came back together, slowly reforming into the plant it had been before. It was coming along nicely, until the wizard caught sight of something inside the dirt. He gasped. 

“Izuku, what exactly was it you were growing?” 

“I don’t know. It’s changed so much since I pulled it from the tub, I just rolled with it.” 

The wizard approached the floating dirt pile and plucked out the small plant, revealing a medium sized bulb at the base of the flower. It looked like an infant that was curled in on itself, only it was made of plant matter and had a stem protruding from its head where hair should be. Shouto’s face paled, and he looked over it grimly. 

“Oh no,” Izuku whispered. 

“This is definatley a mandrake,” Shouto diagnosed. He looked like a doctor who was telling his patient he had a week left to live. 

“Shouto, I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize, otherwise I’d never have planted it!” 

“It’s not your fault. Besides, what’s done is done.” 

“Are you sure this is _the_ mandrake, and not just a mandrake? The spell could mean something else! Like, maybe it’s-” 

“I appreciate your optimism, but I felt the magic shift the second I touched it. There’s only one part of the curse left until it is completed.” 

“Oh.”

Shouto gathered the plant again, and around it the pot magically repaired itself. It returned to the end table that it usually lived on, and the wizard looked at it judgmentally. He didn’t blame Izuku for accidentally fulfilling part of the prophecy, but he wasn’t happy with the mandrake. How could something so lovingly watered by his shower betray him this way? 

・・・・・

They went down to the shop, and Izuku took the mandrake with him. He thought it would be best to sell it, rather than keeping the plant that was sealing his boyfriend’s fate. He fashioned it with a pricetag and put it in the window display, hoping someone would take it off their hands. 

He then went to sit on the stool by the register, while Shouto leaned against the counter casually. Izuku couldn’t help but think he had that effortlessly gorgeous look down pat. He still hadn’t bothered to grow his hair back out since it was cut by Momo after the head injury. Izuku thought it was starting to grow on him, but he also wouldn’t mind if the wizard grew it out again. It was truly unfair that Shouto could look this great no matter what he did. 

As if on queue, the wizard turned to him and noticed the gaze Izuku was directing at his hair. Shouto’s hand lifted up to feel the length of it, seeming to gauge the pros and cons of growing it out or not.

“Do you think I should grow it back?” 

“I think if you grew it just a little it would be nice. Maybe not all the way, but it might look cuter if it was over an inch at least.” 

“Cuter?”

“What? Did I say that? I mean, I’m allowed to call you cute, right? You are my boyfriend after all. Or is it too dismissive? Should I say handsome? Dashing? Charming?” 

“Relax, Izuku. I’m glad you find me cute … and all those other words apparently,” there was a faint blush, but more importantly there was a soft smile as well. 

He was so distracted staring at his boyfriend that he didn’t notice a customer come in and approach the counter. He probably would have kept ignoring them if the customer didn’t clear his throat gently. Izuku startled as he suddenly realized he’d been zoning out admiring the beauty that was Shouto Todoroki while a customer was waiting. 

The man who’d walked in was none other than Detective Tsukauchi, but Izuku almost didn’t recognize him. He was dressed in casual clothing, slacks and a dress shirt with a tie. It wasn’t casual for most people, but without his name tag, hat, and coat he didn’t look as official. The detective smiled apologetically as he realized he’d startled Izuku. 

“Oh! Detective Tsukauchi! I didn’t expect you to be back to soon.” 

“Detective? So this is the man you were talking about earlier,” Shouto whispered. 

“It was my day off, so I came by. I dropped off the flowers at my husband’s shrine last night. They were beautiful, and really brought the whole thing together. Thank you again, Mr Midoriya.” 

“Please, call me Izuku.” 

“Alright, Izuku. And who is this with you?” 

“This is my boyfriend! Sh-” Izuku cut himself off. Was Shouto fine being introduced to this man? 

“The name is Todoroki,” the wizard said.

This time it was Detective Tsukauchi who looked surprised. He wasn’t as expressive about it as Izuku, and he didn’t drop any watering cans or plants. Instead, he raised his eyebrows, then furrowed them as he seemed to take a moment and put the pieces together. 

“You’re the Wizard Todoorki, aren’t you?” 

Shouto nodded. 

“I see. I didn’t realize you ran a flower shop. My husband was a fan of your work.” 

“Izuku runs the shop, not me, and I find it hard to believe All Might was a fan of mine,” Shouto said doubtfully. He wasn’t being mean to the detective, but he was trying to sum up his motives. He gave the detective a similar look to the one he’d given Izuku that first time they’d talked. It was a look that made Izuku feel like he was under a magnifying glass on a sunny day. 

“Ah, so you got that? My husband Toshinori uses the name All Might as his wizard alias. He wanted to separate his personal life from the public eye so I’m not made into a target. I’m surprised you use your real name for an alias, Todoroki.” 

“I never saw the point in all that,” Shouto muttered. 

The detective didn’t seem bothered by Shouto’d cold demeanor or blunt answers. He turned to Izuku again to say more. 

“I also came here to offer to help you with the spell you’re under, Izuku, but if Todoroki can’t break it, then I’m afraid my magic won’t do any good either. If I hear from my husband I’ll send him your way, but until then good luck with everything.” 

“Thank you for the offer, Detective! I’m afraid neither of us have managed to break it yet, but I haven’t given up hope. I know I’ll be free of this curse just like I know your husband will come back to us.” 

“Thank you both. Good luck with your mission!” 

“And you as well!” 

Shouto waved at him, but didn’t offer any more conversation. He turned to Izuku, who sighed at his boyfriend’s cold demeaner towards strangers. 

“What about trusting my instincts that he’s a good guy?” 

“I do trust you, I just had to be sure he wasn’t a spy of my father’s. I wasn’t staring him down, I was studying him. He seems to be a regular human, not a puppet, illusion, or anything else. He also has lie detection magic, which makes sense for a detective I suppose.” 

There was that ‘or anything else’ that Shouto had mentioned again. Why was he always so vague about these things? Izuku knew as much about magic as most apprentice wizards did, so it wasn’t like this thing would confuse him whatever it was. Clearly Shouto was keeping this mystery option a secret from Izuku for his own purposes, and Izuku had to admit the distrust hurt a little. 

“Do you always look so intense when you study people?” 

“I’ve been told I look rather intimidating even when I’m not studying anyone.” 

That much was true at least. Maybe he was being too hard on Shouto. He was allowed to keep secrets, right? Just because they were dating didn’t mean they had to share everything. Some things were too personal to talk about, and that was alright, wasn’t it? Shouto would tell him when he was ready. 

“Just don’t scare off the customers,” Izuku teased as he leaned up and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek. That earned him a slight smile. 

“It’s alright. I should probably stay for another hour or so, then I’ll get back to working on a way to defeat my father. Do you need any help around here before I scare more people off?” 

“Actually, could you go fetch me another orchid? I get the feeling that our french baker will be in again today, and I’d like to have one ready in case he does show up.”

“Of course.” 

With that Shouto retreated back into the castle. He carried with him a medium sized pot to bring the plant back with. Izuku watched him go, taking in the sight. Tragically, his attention was drawn back to the shop when the bell on the door chimed. 

In walked a tall man with messy dark hair and a fixe o’ clock shadow and under eye bags. He had a slight smirk on his face, and his piercing blue eyes were staring right at Izuku. There was something off about him, and something unnerving as well. He approached the counter where Izuku was sitting and he waved at him. 

“Nice shop you’ve got. Is it new in the area?” 

Strangely enough, he looked familiar. His smile was uncomfortable and forced, as if he’d rather be any other place than there. Additionally, there was a sinister look in his eyes. What did he want from Izuku? 

“No,” Izuku lied. “I’ve ran the shop here for ages. I’ve lived here since I was born.”

The second part wasn’t a lie at all. He had run the shop here, even before it was a flower shop, and he had always lived here. 

“Is that so?”

“Yes it is,” Izuku stated absolutely. “Now, may I help you with something?” 

“I had just been walking by when I noticed the mandrake in your window. I’d like to take it off your hands.” 

“Oh, really? I’ll get it for you right away then.”

That at least was a relief. He hadn’t expected an offer on it so quickly. Mandrakes were a good spell ingredient, but everyday people didn’t want the hastle of taking care of one. Maybe once he sold this man the mandrake he’d leave Izuku alone. 

“I’m surprised to find one here.” 

“I suppose most shops in Market Chipping wouldn’t cary them. I happen to use a lot of magic with my flowers, so a mandrake root isn’t exactly out of place here.” 

“That wasn’t what I’d meant, actually. What sort of magic do you do?” 

Iuzku realized he’d revealed too much information to this stranger. He wasn’t trustworthy the way Tsukauchi had been, and Shouto told him to trust his gut. If this man rubbed Izuku the wrong way, there had to be a good reason for it. 

“Oh, you know .. all sorts.” 

“Really now? So how did you grow a mandrake?” 

“I … planted the seed in some dirt and watered it daily.” 

“And where did you get the seed?” 

“Around the house.” 

“That’s a shock. I had imagined Shouto Todoroki would have reasons not to want mandrakes around.” 

The words hit Izuku like a bag of bricks to the face. Their sudden impact made him freeze up, nearly dropping the mandrake plant a second time that day.

“What do you want?” 

“Just this plant, thanks.” 

“No,” Izuku said firmer this time. “What do you want with him?”

Dabi sighed, pretending to be upset Izuku had found him out. _‘As if he’d been so subtle!_

“He really hasn’t told you how we know each other?” 

“Care to enlighten me?”

“Makes sense,” the man sighed. “I suppose his older siblings must be a source of shame for him.”

No, he had to be lying. Shouto’s siblings were all older than him and far away, right? But then, he had been very dodgy about who Dabi was, saying there was another alternative to him being one of Endeavor’s puppets. But why would one of the wizard’s siblings curse him? What could he possibly get out of that? 

“You’re just making things up, Dabi.” 

“Has he truly never told you about us? Not even his dear sister, Fuyumi?” 

“You’re just saying what Endeavor told you to say, you don’t have any real proof of your identity.”

“What about this,” he said pulling out a silver chain from around his neck. He undid the clasp at the back and handed it over to Izuku, who recognized it instantly. It was the locket from his nightmare. He didn’t have to open it to know what was inside, but he did anyways. 

The family portrait with Shouto as a baby was exactly as he’d seen it in his sleep, but he found himself staring at the older siblings this time. Two boys, and a girl. The sister had white hair with red highlights, she was probably Fuyumi. One of the boys had white hair and grey eyes like his mother, while the other had red hair and those same aqua blue ones that Endeavor had stared at him with. That must have been why Izuku felt so intimidated under Dabi’s gaze. It was exactly the same as Shouto’s father. 

The child he saw in the locket and the man he saw before him were undeniably the same person, but after much time and some hair dye. _‘Covering up their natural hair must run in the family._

Dabi took the locket back from his hand and clasped it around his neck once more before he tucked it away under his shirt. 

“Do you believe me now?” 

Izuku was silent. _‘I don’t know what to think,’_ he confessed to himself, still shocked at the news he’d just been given. If Dabi was a Todoroki, was he working for their father? He had to be working for him, otherwise why would be deliver the curse? He seemed to think Shouto resented him, or that he was shameful. Maybe he thought Shouto considered himself superior to the other siblings, since he was the most powerful? Maybe the rejection from Enji had led his other children to do anything to seek his approval. Izuku really didn’t like that idea. 

“Are you really all that surprised?” The tired looking man continued. “My little brother has always been secretive. He hides things away as if they aren’t going to bother him, but one day he’ll have to realize he can’t sweep all his problems under the rug. Still, it makes me wonder what else he’d been keeping from his sweetheart.” 

That struck a chord with him. After everything Enji had done to his son, he was trying to badmouth him now? As much as Izuku hated Shouto not telling him things, he couldn’t be mad at him for it. Frustrated? Yes. Worried? Definitely. But not mad. 

“Shut up! Exactly what do you think you’re going to get by badmouthing him to me?” 

“Did I hit a nerve?” 

“No, but I’m going to hit a few if you don’t leave right now!” 

Izuku didn’t like to be violent, but if it was against one of Endeavor’s henchmen it couldn’t be that bad. Maybe he was jut telling himself that so he wouldn’t feel bad threatening someone over his boyfriend’s honor. 

Just then, Shouto came back into the shop holding a flower pot with an orchid in it and smiling. This smile of course faded when he saw Izuku, practically in tears, yelling at a customer. The customer in question put up a hood and turned his face to obscure it from the wizard’s vision. Shouto’s eyes narrowed and he shifted the plant to his left arm in case he had to attack with his ice magic at any moment. 

“Is everything alright, Izuku?” 

He didn’t get a chance to respond, as the man loudly put a few silver pieces on the countertop and took the plant in his harms before fully turning his body away from Shouto. 

“I was just leaving anyways. Take care, Izuku Midoriya.” 

Shouto rushed to his boyfriend’s side. At this point Izuku was shaking, as much as he tried to hide it. He knew his boyfriend took notice as he wrapped his arms around him. 

“What happened, Izuku?” 

“He …” Izuku froze. How could he explain this to Shouto? “That was the same man who showed me the curse in the shop that day.”

A dark look fell over Shouto’s face. That couldn’t be good. There was evidently something Shouto knew that he wasn’t letting on, and Izuku was afraid to find out. Luckily, Izuku had never let fear stop him for long. Whatever it was Shouto didn’t want to tell him about that creepy man who claimed to be his brother, Izuku would find out sooner or later. He’d rather it be now, and he’d rather heart the truth from Shouto’s lips than anyone else’s. 

“Shouto,” he began. “Who exactly is Dabi to you?”


	21. Tell Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I still don't have internet at home so I'm out volunteering as I publish this latest chapter! Hopefully I'll get internet back soon so I can post from home once more!

Shouto froze up at the words. Izuku was staring at him, his face a cocktail of frustration, worry, and fear. Shouto recognized the look, having also felt these emotions so frequently as of late. With everything going on lately, he hadn’t even considered that Izuku would be worried about Dabi’s true identity or how they knew each other. He’d been hoping to not have to share that information, but now he realized how foolish that had been. In an attempt to not have to share it, he’d hurt the man he cared about most.

“Are you sure you want to know?” 

“Of course I want to know,” Izuku pleaded. “I know you probably think not telling me these things will keep me safe somehow, but it’s only making things more dangerous for me! Dabi just told me how he claims he knows you, and what if I’d believed him? I haven’t heard anything from you about it, and he obviously knows that. He’s trying to use that to tear us apart, Shouto.”

“Izuku, I’m not keeping this information from you because I think it will keep you safe. My reasons for not telling you are … well, they’re selfish,” he admitted. “I didn’t tell you about him because I was hoping you wouldn’t need to know, and I was afraid of how it would make me look as well.” 

“Dabi told me he was your brother. He even had the same family portrait of yours that I saw in my dream. He looks just like an older version of your oldest brother.”

The color seemed to drain from Shouto’s face. Izuku couldn’t tell which part had scared him until the man spoke. 

“You had a prophetic dream?” 

“Well, only part of it seems to have been prophetic. Is that important?” 

“This can’t be good.” 

“Why not?” 

“Prophetic dreams occur when a wizard subconsciously taps into divination energies while sleeping. This can lead to dreams that predict the future, an while that’s no inherently, if your dream was prophetic it is concerning. I’m going to need you to tell me all of the details about this dream later, but first I’ll answer your questions about Dabi.”

“I’m ready when you are. Take your time,” said Izuku as he sat on the counter, giving the seat to Shouto again. 

“I don’t know where he got that story about him being my brother from, but I can assure you we’re not blood related. It’s possible my father might have passed him off as his oldest son maybe, I’m not sure. I never met my older brothers, so anything is possible. That is, anything aside from him being related to me because … Dabi isn’t actually human.” 

“What!? So he is one of your father’s puppets?” 

“No, he’s much more dangerous than that. He’s hiding how he really looks right now, but I met him a few times when I was a child. In his human looking form he usually has a sort of patchwork skin and stitches all over his body. It’s unsettling to say the least. However, he usually isn’t in a human form, he’s usually sitting in the heart in my father’s study.” 

“No … you don’t mean?” 

Shouto nodded. 

“Dabi is my father’s fire demon.” He took a deep sigh, getting ready to explain the whole thing. 

Sensing his tension, Izuku reached down and took the wizard’s hands in his own and rubbed circles on the back of his palms. 

“Shouto, I can tell you’re afraid to tell me whatever comes next, but I assure you I won’t think any differently of you after this. Whatever happened in the past, is the past. I’ll still be here by your side.”

“Thank you, Izuku. It’s not exactly that I did something wrong, it’s just … well I’ll tell you the whole thing. For starters, my father has got to be at least a hundred years old, maybe more. He was always a cocky and power hungry man who would stop at nothing to receive recognition. He wanted to be the number one wizard there was, and so he would fight with other famous wizards to prove his superiority. He was making his way to the top, but he kept getting overshadowed by new upstarts. In a rush to grab power, he decided to seek out a demon who would enhance his skills, no matter the cost. He met Dabi and the two started working togtheher.” 

“He did that just to get recognition?” 

“He wasn’t just looking for people to inflate his ego, he wanted to have power over others. He wanted the loyalty and devotion of others, like he expects from me. But I wouldn’t come into the picture until later. Back then it was just my father and his fire demon. Dabi worked in the shadows, while Endeavor fought his way through the ranks. He got to the point where he only had to challenge a handful of other wizards before he could say he’d bested them all. Only problem was that they refused to fight him. They told him that a fight between wizards was a waste of time and magic that could be used to help others. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer. It was his fire demon’s anger and bloodthirstiness that only encouraged his own. The current ruler of the Kingdom, Queen Shimura, saw his wrath growing and banished him for it.”

“That day that I went to the palace, your father told me that she had banished him. He wanted me to pass along a message to the current king, but I just went to Iida for help instead.” 

“Yes, he never forgave her for that, even after she passed away. What made matters worse was that she had been training an apprentice in secret. He continued to grow even after her untimely death, and eventually became the wizard we know today as All Might.” 

“All Might was trained by the queen?” 

“Yes. It’s well known she was powerful wizard, but the identity of her apprentices were always kept secret. I only found out because I was granted access to the royal libraries once for one of the King’s projects, and happened upon a record of the events.”

“Huh.” 

“So All Might became the definite strongest wizard, and without fighting anyone. He effortlessly rose to the top by saving others with a compassionate smile, and defeating villains that no one else could. That made my father even madder. He snuck into Kingsbury to fight him personally, but All Might bested him and he had to run back to the wastes to recover. In the meantime, All Might put up protections across the country so that as long as he was there, we would all be safe.” 

“Right, that’s why he is always saying, ‘Fear not, for I am here!’”

Shouto smiled at his boyfriend’s imitation of the wizard’s booming confident voice. It lightened the mood a little, in spite of the tragic tale he was recounting. Izuku may not face every situation with a smile the way All Might could, but he could put a smile on other people’s faces no matter what and Shouto considered that even better. 

“Right,” he agreed. “Then my was trapped in the wastes for the entirety of his long and healthy life. It would have been a fitting punishment, but he soon decided if he couldn’t enter the kingdom himself, he could make people who could go for him. He used puppets to court my mother, and when he’d finally convinced her family to let them marry, she went to live with him. He wanted a partner for one reason and that was to make children who could do his job for him. If he couldn’t become the strongest wizard, he would create a child that would.” 

“Shouto,” Izuku comforted. He reached a hand over to his boyfriend’s shoulder and rubbed gently, letting him know it was alright if he didn’t want to continue the story. It was evidently painful. 

“It’s fine, Izuku. After they were married he tried to create the perfect child who would have equal amounts of their power. Through trial and error he made me, and well you can figure out the rest. I hadn’t wanted to tell you that my father had a fire demon because I didn’t want you to think Shinsou would corrupt me the same way that Dabi aided my father’s corruption. I probably wouldn’t have agreed to Shinsou’s power if I’d realized it was the same thing my father was using but I was naive back then.” 

“Shouto, you’re nothing like your father. If you were afraid I would equate the two of you because you both have demons you’re overthinking it. You two couldn’t be more different! Just because you have the same power doesn’t mean you are the same. Besides, you use your powers to help others wherever you can. Unlike him, you have a big heart.” 

The wizard almost laughed at that cruel irony. _‘I really don’t,’_ he thought bitterly. His heart was actually rather small, having been the heart of a child when he gave it up. A heart wouldn’t grow inside a demon’s fire, but it could still provide life. 

“I clearly didn't act that way in the dream you had,” he mentioned. “I’m afraid, Izuku. If your dream was prophetic then what if I start acting like that? What if it means my father does take control of me?” 

“He won’t, because we’ll stop him. Besides, I think only parts of the dream were truly prophetic. I mean, the family portrait that I saw may have shown up, but it was in a different context and means something completely different in real life. I think that’s how other things like this will be as well. We won’t know what they mean until after they come to pass.” 

“No a very good prophecy,” Shouto muttered. 

Izuku giggled. 

“What I’m trying to say, Shouto, is don’t beat yourself up about it. We don’t know what if means, and speculation will only make you feel bad. The way you are, you’re much kinder that the version of you in my nightmare. Forget about it, and go do some research in your spell book. I can handle the shop, I promise.” 

“Okay, if you insist.” 

“I do,” Izuku said as he leaned forward and kissed Shouto on the lips. 

The wizard was filled with a mix of emotions at that. Inside him swirled all sorts of joy and excitement and neediness, but also guilt. So far he’d heard Izuku say he loved him twice now, and hadn’t bothered to respond. The problem wasn’t that he didn’t love Izuku, he was just so afraid of saying it to his boyfriend’s face. He remembered Uraraka’s words, and how they had made him feel. _‘It’s love, Todoroki. You need to admit you’re in love with Deku.’_

How had he still not managed to tell him after all this time? She was right, of course. He wished he could seek her wisdom now. She seemed to know exactly what to say … unlike him. Here he was, with his lips locked against Izuku’s and his tongue exploring the other’s mouth so passionately, and he couldn’t find the words to tell him how he felt. He ran his hands through Izuku’s hair and tried to ignore these feelings, but they refused to leave. _‘Why can I do this just fine, but I get so nervous trying to tell him how I feel? It’s just a different way of using my lips and tongue to say the same thing.’_

Unable to go on without feeling guilty, he pulled back. Izuku was trying to catch his breath. His hair was messy, his pupils were full, and he was staring at Shouto with a look of pure adoration that the wizard wished he could show back to him. 

“I … should get back to work now,” was all he said. 

He pretended not to notice the way Izuku’s hands lingered on his body, or how his eyes pleaded for him not to go. As much as he wanted to stay, Izuku was right. He had to look for more spells that could destroy his father, but he had … other things to figure out as well. Besides, it couldn’t be good for business to have both shop attendants preoccupied like that. 

・・・・・

Later that day, Shouto announced he was going out. Izuku waved goodbye to him as he was closing up the shop. He’s ended up selling another orchid to the french bakery employee, and he’d met some new people as well. Daisies seemed to be that day’s best seller. He packed up the things that needed to go back into the castle, and he returned to the comfort of the building’s main room. Inside, Shinsou was keeping the place warm while Rei napped in her dog bed next to him. Momo was working on a potion, and seemed entranced in it. 

They were all caught up in their own work, and Izuku didn’t mind. He was still thinking deeply about what Shouto had said earlier. The creepy man known as Dabi was definitely working for Endeavor, and as his fire demon no less! He didn’t seem particularly fond of his wizard, but maybe that was an act? Shinsou acted as if he were annoyed by his wizard as well, but deep down Izuku could tell he was grateful for being saved. For better or for worse, the two were bonded together and had to protect each other. 

As Izuku sat by the fire and began to pat Rei, he felt something calling out to him. It wasn’t audible, but it felt like it was pulling him in. It was close by, like it was right outside the door. No, it was the door, specifically the black one. Izuku remembered how it had felt to go into the door during his dream, and he didn’t want to repeat that feeling, but he was also so curious. This feeling refused to go away.

“Shinsou, where does the black door lead to?” 

“I can’t tell you that,” he replied. 

“Is it part of your contract with Shouto?” 

“No, he just asked me not to let you in that door.” 

He sighed. Shinsou could control the doors, so even if Izuku tried to get in, the demon might just slam it in his face before he could walk through. If he was to go through he door, he’d have to be sneaky about it. 

“Thanks anyways,” he said. 

“Izuku, don’t get any ideas. I know you aren’t one to give up that easily, so what are you planning?” 

“Nothing at all,” he said in his most innocent voice. 

The demon made a hand signal as if to say ‘I’m watching you,’ and then he lowered his flame body into the hearth so only his eyes were showing. Izuku just giggled at the silly display, unsure if Shinsou really thought that was intimidating. 

The rest of the evening passed without incident. Izuku kept planning ways that he might be able to get into the black door, but he was still unsure why he felt such a strong desire to go into it. Something told him that if he went in there, he might find out more about the contract between Shouto and the demon. 

After a few hours, Izuku heard a knock at the door and he hopped up to open it. Was Shouto finally back? What he saw was both what he’d predicted, and not at all what he’d been expecting. Before him was his boyfriend, who looked tired from a long day, but behind him were two other figures. Izuku’s face lit up, and suddenly Shouto was pushed aside as Uraraka tackled Izuku into a hug. 

“Uraraka! Iida! What are you two doing here?” 

“I went to Uraraka for help with the spells I was looking at, but when I mentioned the trouble with my father and how you’d gotten inured she wouldn’t let me leave without taking her and Iida as well,” sighed Shouto. 

“Midoriya! I had no idea you were injured even more than what I witnessed that day at the palace! Have you been treating your wounds properly? Have you been drinking enough calcium?” 

“Stop being such a mom, Iida,” Uraraka scolded. “I’m just glad you’re okay, Deku!” 

“Thank you both,” said Izuku who was tearing up. It had been so long since he’d seen his friends and here they were in his house. Wait, they were in his house. Did that mean they were going to stay? What about their jobs and apprenticeships? Would Iida be fired? Would Uraraka be able to return to Thirteen afterwards? Where would they sleep that night?

“Midoriya, you’re muttering again,” Iida informed him. 

“Right! Sorry!” 

“Don’t worry, Izuku,” his boyfriend comforted him. “They said they wanted to stay as long as you needed help. I can add a couple beds somewhere, and it will be fine.” 

“Thirteen is very understanding!” Uraraka chimed in. “He said I would be welcome back, and that this would be good training for me! Plus, I’m sure the king won’t mind Iida being borrowed if it’s by the Royal Wizard, right Shouto?” 

He groaned. Apparently he’d forgotten his title, if only for a moment.

“You guy’s didn’t have to do all this for me,” Izuku cried softly. 

“We didn’t, but we wanted to,” Uraraka said, comforting him. 

“We’re your friends” Iida proclaimed. “Of course we’d come to you in your time of need!” 

Izuku was full on crying now, and he wrapped his arms around all three of them. Shouto didn’t seem to enjoy being squished against Iida and Uraraka, but he endured and pretended not to mind. He couldn’t be mad when Izuku was so happy.

“Thank you,” Izuku cried. “Thank you all!” 

・・・・・

That night Shouto and Momo set up an extra bed. Rei had insisted that Uraraka take her room, since she wasn’t going to get much use of it in this state. They’d decided to move her bed over, and Momo created a second one for Iida. Uraraka had excitedly claimed it was just like a sleepover, and was appalled when Todoroki told her he didn’t know what those were like. After that, Momo showed the two of them around, and Uraraka seemed to faint at how large and fancy the bathroom was. She was impressed, or maybe intimidated, by how nice the place seemed to be. 

At the end of the tour, they came back to Rei’s room where Shouto was setting up finishing touches. Iida went to the bathroom to brush his teeth before bed, while Uraraka pulled Shouto aside to talk to him. 

“You and Deku are dating now, but you still haven’t told him, have you?” 

“I … It’s not that I haven’t tried.” 

“But what’s stopping you? It’s obvious he loves you, Todoroki. He looks at you like you put the stars in the sky.”

It seemed an unfair comparison to the wizard. If anything, he took stars from the sky. He could never dream to create something so beautiful or wonderful, he could only prolong the life of a single star. Still, he couldn’t deny the adoration he’s seen in his boyfriend’s eyes after their kiss that morning. Izuku definitely loved him, so why couldn’t Shouto say it back? 

“I … I’m afraid to say it to him. I mean, I love him now, but how long can that last? I don’t have a heart, so the fact I love him now is an enigma. What if … one day I wake up and can’t feel it anymore? It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve cared for someone and the feelings have just disappeared. You know my reputation.” 

“I don’t know what’s happened in your past relationships, or even how someone can live without a heart, and I can’t know what will happen in the future. All I know is that you have to stop being so afraid of being vulnerable. So what if this isn’t how you’ll feel forever? It’s what you feel now, so why not be happy now?” 

“But-” 

“No buts. You’re not doing yourself any favors keeping your feelings hidden. You’re just stealing joy from yourself, and from Deku too. When are you going to face the facts and just tell him already?” 

Shouto knew he needed Uraraka to call him out like this, but it didn’t make it any easier. His instinctive desire to defend himself from criticism that he’d formed as a child tried to take hold of him, and he had to push it back down. This wasn’t like the insults that Endeavor had thrown at him, this was a helpful criticism. _‘She’s telling you the truth, you need to listen,’_ he reminded himself. 

“I understand.” 

“So you know what you have to do?” 

“I do, I just … I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it.” 

“You don’t give yourself enough credit. It’s hard opening up to people, especially with what you’ve been through, but I know you can accomplish this. I wouldn’t tell you to do something if I didn’t think it was possible. I’m not saying you need to do it right when you go upstairs, just do it some time soon. For your sake, and for Deku’s.” 

“Alright,” he agreed. 

With that, he went back upstairs to find Izuku falling asleep in their bed already. Shouto tried to hang onto the feelings he felt as he looked at his boyfriend. In his current form he was an old man with grey hair and withered hands and crow’s feet, but Shouto didn’t see him like that. He saw a mess of green curls piled on the pillow as they framed his face. He saw a youthful expression, and hands that had seen far too much for their eighteen years. He saw eyes that were closed now, but had cried enough tears for the both of them and then some. He saw Izuku, imperfect and insecure, but amazing and beautiful nonetheless. Before him, he saw the man he loved. 

He tried to remember how it felt, in case one day he didn’t remember. No matter what he felt tomorrow, or the day after, or the day after that, he loved Izuku in this moment, and all the moments before it. If he never felt like this again, it would be worth it for what he felt at that second. He knew that he loved Izuku more than he’d loved anyone before, and soon enough he would tell him just that. But for the time being, he got into bed and wrapped his boyfriend in his arms and went to sleep.


	22. Sleepless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAVE INTERNET ONCE AGAIN! 
> 
> Sorry for the long wait, I couldn't post anything here, or spellcheck anything I wrote in the google doc I work in, so updates were out. Plus, shortly after I started writing this my own shitty father came back into my life to try and cause trouble again, so I've been dealing with that, but I have everything settled for now. I find writing this story story sort of therapeutic in a way, and I'm glad I can finally get back to updates once more!

The world around him was spinning as Shouto’s eyes opened suddenly. He felt disoriented, and uncomfortable. His body was covered in sweat, and he gasped for breath gently. Everything started to come back into focus slowly, and he found himself in bed. _‘It … was only a dream?’_

He felt panic set in, and his body was hesitant to move. Ice crystals were starting to form at his fingertips like they were prone to do when he lost control of his emotions like this. He almost forgot that Izuku was lying beside him, a warm face pressed against his shoulder and a calloused hand against his chest. Usually he would lie in bed and wait for the panic attacks to end, but with his boyfriend sharing a bed with him it was a bit more complicated.

_‘I have to leave before I lose control of my magic even further,’_ he reminded himself. His ice was spreading slowly, and if he stayed here it would spread to Izuku’s body as well as his own. 

Stil, that wasn’t the only reason he left. Whenever he was on edge like this, he started to feel overwhelmed by his senses. He could feel himself being overstimulated already, just from the touch of the blankets and his boyfriend next to him. If he went any further into his downward spiral, the slightest touch or a voice spoken too loud could make him panic even more. Meanwhile Izuku was a very touchy person. Even if he didn’t mean to, he might accidentally brush the wizards shoulder or hold his hand, and Shouto was afraid of how he might react to that. 

He got up carefully, as to not wake up his boyfriend. Then he made his way down the stairs and to the front door where he paused. What was the best place to go where he could be alone? He thought to go to the fields and the safehouse, but didn’t want to ruin any of the flowers as his ice spread. Then there was the black door, which was risky to go into even when he was at the best emotional state, so that was out. He certainly want going to the flower shop. It was the worst place to go in terms of collateral damage. 

That left only the castle door that led to wherever they were in the wastes at that moment. It would have to do, because he couldn’t think of a better option. He opened the door and looked out onto the landscape outside. Around him stretched grassy hills and the occasional lake, glistening in moonlight. He could see mountains around them, but they wouldn’t be there for a good while. 

It was still night time, so the sky was deep navy blue, with a slight blue gradient where the sun was still debating if it should show its face or not. The stars above were all fixed in their places, clinging to the sky as they had done all their lives. He tried not to think about his own fallen star, who was asleep in the fireplace. In this state Shinsou could still moved the castle, but slower than he would had he been awake. 

The grass outside was wet with moisture from the cool night air, and as he stepped out into it he decided the feeling of it was too much. The sensation of the liquid and the temperature were only going to make things worse. He instead settled on perching against the castles doorstep. He lifted a hand to check on it, and the fingertips were almost entirely covered in frozen crystals. It was faster than the ice usually spread, but the dream had been particularly bad. 

It had been about a world where his mother had failed to set him free, and he’d had to live with his father all these years. He’d been trapped in their mansion by the edge of the wastes all these years, and had never gotten out. He’d never met Momo or Shinsou or Uraraka. He’d certainly never met Izuku. He felt hot tears run down his face as he remembered the hopelessness he’d felt, knowing that there was no real future for him. He had been devoid of choice, trapped in his father’s home, and his only friends had never met him. The only man he had ever loved, was out there and had no idea who he was. 

Without him, what was Izuku’s life like? If he managed to find him, he’d surely see that same youthful face he’d seen the first time they met. He’d be greeted by that mile wide smile and a mess of evergreen curls. If Shouto had never intervene, would Izuku be happy? He wouldn’t know what he was missing out on, and he’d never have been hurt by Endeavor. _‘Maybe it was cruel of me to bring him into all of this.’_

Suddenly he was jolted from his thoughts as he felt something hit him in the back. He fell off the first step of the castle, and into the wet grass below. He felt adrenaline rush through his body at the assault, and he scrambled to a position where he could throw up a wall of ice at the offender … until he saw who it was. 

“Oh my god, Shouto I’m sorry,” muttered a frantic Izuku. He stood in the doorway wearing a frightened expression. Shouto figured the fear was in regards to the attack he’d been about to launch, and he quickly put his hands down, and backed away. 

“I … didn’t think you were awake.” 

“I woke up just as you were leaving,” he said softly. There was a sadness in his voice that couldn’t be hidden, and he wasn’t making eye contact. There was clearly something that Shouto was missing. 

“You should go back to sleep, Izuku.” 

“I couldn’t sleep if I wanted to. I’m worried about you, Shouto. What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing,” the wizard lied. 

“And here I thought I was the worse liar between us. There’s clearly something bothering you or else you wouldn’t be out here covered in ice. You can trust me, it’s okay,” he reassured as he moved closer. 

He reached out a hand to try and calm his boyfriend, but it only caused more panic. In his state of sensory overload, Shouto knew he couldn’t handle the contact, but was unsure how to explain that. He’d never met anyone else who acted like that, so maybe it wasn’t something Izuku could understand. Other people always seemed to want contact and comfort when they were upset, and deep down Shouto did want it. He wished he was able to take Izuku in his arms and hold him tight, but his body and mind wouldn’t allow it while he was panicking. 

Instinctively, Shouto put up a minor ward between him and his boyfriend. He’d never been particularly good at that sort of magic, and if Izuku had really wanted to he could have pushed through it easily. It would have been like tearing through tissue paper. Still, he got the message. The weak resistance the ward had put up paired with the pleading look in Shouto’s eyes was enough to make Izuku pause. 

He looked hurt, like he didn’t understand why his boyfriend needed to put up protection spells between the two of them, but Izuku was empathetic and observant. He knew about the attempts people had made in the past to hurt the man he cared about, and understood his reasons for being warry. 

“Shouto,” Izuku whispered. He was evidently on the verge of tears. 

“I … didn’t mean it like that.” Like what exactly he was unsure of, but he hadn’t intended to make Izuku cry. “It’s not safe for you to be here, I can’t really handle being touched right now and my power is getting out of control.” 

He hoped that made sense, but based on the look on Izuku’s face he figured it didn’t. He couldn’t focus on explaining this all, he had to worry about keeping his power contained. That was the most dangerous part, especially since it seemed Izuku was planning on staying. 

“I’m not going to leave you!” 

His voice was firm, and it scared Shouto a little. He couldn’t hide how he startled at the tone, but he tried to remind himself that this voice was different. It wasn’t like how his father had yelled at him all those years. It lacked the anger and malice that Endeavor’s voice carried. In its place was determination and concern. _‘It’s not the same.’_

“Please, you have to go.” 

“Shouto, you’re scaring me. When I woke up and you weren’t there I … I was afraid that my nightmare was coming true. I thought your father’s curse was taking hold and that I was about to lose you forever, so when I saw that you’d gone through the door to the wastes rather than the black door I felt so relieved only … you’re still pushing me away. In the nightmare when I caught up with you, you wanted me to leave you alone and I couldn’t force my body to move. I couldn’t take another step forward to stop you, and I’m sorry for that,” he sobbed. The tears were streaming down his face like waterfalls. 

“What?” Shouto hadn’t noticed the dream parallels before, but he couldn’t see why it mattered. The spell hadn’t taken hold, and he was arguably fine. Okay, he wasn’t fine but it wasn’t life threatening, so why should it matter? Why was Izuku so apologetic for not helping him in a dream? 

“This time I can help you, so I’m not leaving your side, so please, talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong.” 

“But my power-”

“Will be fine if you can get it under control again. If we talk about why you’re losing control, we can figure out how to fix this, I promise.” 

“How can you be so sure?” 

“Just … trust me on this, please Shouto.” 

“I …” He did trust Izuku. He trusted his boyfriend with his life, and with the evidence to back up that trust no less. It was more than trust, Shouto knew it was love. “I do trust you, Izuku.”

“Go ahead and tell me. Just let it all out, I’ll be by your side no matter what.” 

“I .. had a nightmare. I know it wasn’t real and it wasn’t even prophetic the way yours was, so I guess it’s silly to be so upset about it,” he sighed. 

“But it felt real, and that’s what matters. It’s okay to be upset about it.” 

“I suppose. In the nightmare I was home again, not our home but my father’s home. My mother wasn’t there anymore, my father probably sent her away after she tried to give me this protection spell. It was just the two of us alone in that horrible place. The only other people I saw were my father’s puppets or his fire demon. Each day my father would wake me up at dawn and I would train with him for as long as he saw fit, then I’d be sent to my room to study and tend to my injuries.” 

Izuku winced, but looked on attentively as if to say ‘go on.’ Shouto obliged. 

“Through the whole time I was looking for a way out. I thought I could sneak out or maybe fight him and try to get away, but I felt weak. My power was even less than what I have now, and my father seemed even stronger than the last time I fought him. He controlled every aspect of my life, and I couldn’t even leave the house. It was my own personal prison.”

“That’s awful, Shouto. I’m so sorry,” Izuku comforted, as he remained at a distance. His voice was getting calmer each time he spoke, as if he were talking to a puppy or a scared child rather than an adult and a powerful wizard. 

“I started to feel hopeless. The life I was living it wasn’t a life at all. I don’t know what I would have done, probably something stupid and reckless … but then I remembered you.” 

“Me?” 

“Yes.”

“I suppose I am pretty reckless,” Izuku admitted. 

“No, that’s not it. I remembered that you were out there somewhere, even if I’d never gotten to meet you. I started trying to think of ways that I could contact you and ask for your help. I didn’t know if you would still help me, if you didn’t know who I was, but I wanted to try … until I remembered what had happened after we met that first time. I helped you, and as punishment my father took away your youth and left you with who knows how long left to live? I started to realize that maybe you were better off without me. For a second I thought even if I lived in hell, maybe it would be worth it if your life was happy.”

“It wouldn’t be worth it!” 

“No, I have to agree with you there. I guess it’s selfish, but life with my father was … unbearable. I don’t think I could go back to it even if it would take prevent all the suffering I’ve caused you,” he whispered sadly.

“Shouto, you really do you really think you’ve caused me suffering? You don’t get it do you? You haven’t done anything to hurt me. I worry about you, like, a lot, but that’s the full extent of the damages. Before you my life wasn’t exactly perfect either. Aside from the stress of the hat shop and worrying about my mother, there were other problems too. You saw all the pictures in my house where I was in casts or covered in bruises and cuts? I was horribly bullied growing up because I was different and because I didn’t want to hurt anyone so I wouldn’t fight back. I’ve lost count of the bones I’ve broken, and each of those I’ve had to heal the old fashioned way. There were no healers in my Market Chipping, so each of those injuries took months to heal properly. Then you showed up and stopped Bakugo from hurting me again, and I felt safe for once.” 

“But you didn’t stop breaking things, you’re just breaking your bones trying to save me now.” 

“You can’t blame yourself for my injuries, Shouto. For all we’ve done, you haven’t put a scratch on me. Every time I got hurt was self inflicted.”

“But-“

“No, sorry. There’s no way to blame yourself here. If I wasn’t saving you I’d probably have just gotten injured by another jerk or hurt trying to save someone else or even just by tripping on the stairs in my house. Injuries happen. Getting hurt is just part of life. We can’t stop ourselves from being wounded, we can only choose what we’re doing when they happen and how we treat them. I chose you, and I will always choose you, so don’t you dare blame yourself for this,” he sobbed. 

Shouto couldn’t respond, taken aback by his boyfriends speech. He … had never thought of it like that. How did Izuku manage to get all this insight and compassion? They were the same age, but at some point Izuku had learned to handle emotions maturely while Shouto hadn’t. He had been too busy just trying to survive life with his father than he’d missed out on so much.

“You’re right, as usual. I should have listened to you sooner, Izuku,” he sighed. 

“No time like the present,” his boyfriend whispered with a bittersweet tone. He was smiling, but the tears hadn’t stopped. 

“That’s not all though … if I’m being honest im terrified. What I saw in my nightmare, if the curse takes hold I’ll have to go back to that and … I don’t think I could live like that. I’ve been fighting him for so long if he was able to control me somehow, everything I’ve sacrificed- everything others have sacrificed for me to be here … it would all be for nothing.” 

“Shouto we don’t know what’s going to happen, and that scares me too, but we can’t look at it like that. Your father taking you back is the worst case scenario. As long as I’m still able to stand and fight for you, it’s not going to happen. Your father is powerful, but he doesn’t have what you have.” 

“And what’s that?” 

“People who care. I know that everyone in the castle right now will fight with everything they’ve got to make sure you’re safe. Even Shinsou who pretends he doesn’t care … you’re important to him. You're important to all of us. You have six people in that house who will defend you. Plus, magic is largely fueled by emotions. I can assure you we care more about you than your father cares about using you to grab at power.” 

At that, Shouto realized now that the ice had stopped. Nothing new was forming, and the ice on his body was melting ever so slightly. He just sat there, dumbstruck by the realization. He looked around to make sure he’d seen the whole picture, then he looked back to his boyfriend, who just smiled at him. 

How had Izuku known the plan would work? Shouto had always just relied on tiring himself out to stop here sort of panics. Once he’d either passed out or exhausted his magic’s limits it would all stop. Here Izuku had managed with only a conversation, but how? Unless … 

“You used your magic, didn’t you?” 

“I’m not sure. I was hoping that if I said talking it out would work that it would be successful, but I’m not convinced. I think you did it yourself when you managed to calm down. You didn’t let your emotions take over, and you listened to reason.” 

“Hmm. Maybe it was a group effort,” the wizard pondered. 

“Either way, you’re still freezing,” said Izuku as he stood up, his boyfriend filling suit. “ You should go take a hot shower and cool off. I’ll be in bed if you need me-“

“Actually … would you stay with me?” 

“What?”

“I’m still a bit shaken from my nightmare and as much as I feel the need to isolate myself because of that … you’re right and I shouldn’t be alone. If it’s not too much to ask, wills you stay with me and just talk for awhile? If you’re too tired and have to get back to sleep I understand.”

“Shouto, I would love nothing more than to stay up with you and talk,” he said, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. It was cute. ”Though it’s going to be hard to talk to you while you’re in the shower.” 

“I could take a bath, that way I can warm up and get clean while we talk.” 

He couldn’t help but remember the last time that he’d lost control of his powers where Izuku had dragged him to the bathtub and washed him. Of course Shouto couldn’t remember parts of it having been unconscious but he remembered enjoying the careful touches his boyfriend gave as he took care of him. Izuku was so kind and gentle, so caring and empathetic. He was also, in that moment, becoming increasingly flustered.

“What? But I mean, then you’d be, well- I mean I would see- It would- Um“ 

“Hmm?” 

Shouto played dumb, as if he didn’t know what Izuku was trying to say. It was cruel, but he did enjoy watching his boyfriend get embarrassed about the situation. Izuku stuttered a bit more before taking a breath and trying to compose himself. It failed, and he still looked quite abashed. _‘Adorable.’_

“Would you really be comfortable with me being around you while you’re … you know.”

Shouto couldn’t help but smile. Izuku was trying awfully hard to not talk about nudity or similar themes, despite the context. He danced around the subject about as gracefully as one would dance around broken glass. His boyfriends face was completely red, and he couldn’t help but chuckle lightly.

“Izuku, I don’t mind, but if it makes you so embarrassed I can just take a shower or wrap the shower curtain around the tub. I had thought it would be nice to talk face to face, but I don’t want to do something that will make you uncomfortable.” 

“D-Did you just laugh?” Izuku’s face was still flushed but his smile was a mile wide and his eyes had lit up. 

“What? Not really-“ 

“You did! You totally laughed! 

“Maybe I did,” the wizard admitted. He was tired and didn’t have the energy to pretend. “You amuse me.” 

“Come on, let’s go inside and get your bath ready,” Izuku suggested as he beamed at his boyfriend. 

Shouto couldn’t help but smile again at the look he was given. He was feeling less overwhelmed, and his senses were better. He was ready to touch again, and to show this he placed his hand in Izuku’s own as they headed to the castle door. Together they went back inside and Izuku turned on the taps in their upstairs bathroom while Shouto got a towel and fresh clothing ready. It was getting dangerously close to morning, but neither cared. Shouto figured sleeping in for a while after this couldn’t hurt. 

He undressed, while Izuku covered his face and averted his eyes awkwardly. He looked like he was curious, but wanted to respect his boyfriend's privacy more than anything. _‘How chivalrous,’_ Shouto observed. After the wizard got in the bath, Izuku sat next to him in the chair from the vanity. 

“Thank you for coming to check on me, Izuku. I didn’t want you to, but I’m glad that you did in the end. I think I needed this.” 

“I’ll always make sure you’re alright Shouto. As All Might says, it’s a hero’s duty to help even those who don’t ask for it.”

“You really are an All Might fanboy,” Shouto whispered. Izuku was about to defend himself, but Shouto got there first. “There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s endearing.” 

They stayed in the bathroom for a half hour after that, and then they moved into the bedroom and snuggled under the covers again. Shouto cradled Izuku in his arms, and Izuku rested his head on the wizard’s shoulder. He brought a hand up to play with Shouto’s hair as they fell asleep entangled in each other.

“You know, your hair is still pretty short,” he reminded him. 

“What do you mean?” 

“You trimmed it all when you got injured, but now that it’s healed up you can grow it out again. Unless you like it like this, which is fine too. It’s your hair.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Shouto said as Izuku felt his fingers touch soft hair that wasn’t there before. 

“Shouto! Did you just make it grow again only to prove me wrong?” 

“What’s the point of having magical powers if I can’t use them to tease my boyfriend from time to time,” the wizard deadpanned. 

Izuku couldn’t help but laughing, and he buried his face in Shouto’s neck as he did. Shouto did his best to hide the fact he was ticklish. That would only give Izuku more ammunition to tease back with. Instead, he just smiled and thanked his lucky stars that he was able to have moments like this. It was a miracle that he’d gotten free from his father, and an anomaly that he’d found someone as wonderful as Izuku, let alone gotten to date him. Whatever fates or forces were at work, he was grateful that it had brought the two of them together. 

He no longer felt guilty about Izuku getting dragged into his problems. As much as he worried it was his fault, Izuku told him he wanted to be there, and who was Shouto to tell him what to do? He knew who he was. He was, and that only got him the right to make helpful suggestions now and then. He was the man who loved him. Somehow, despite all his emotional issues and his lack of heart he’d found a way to fall in love. Yet another impossible thing that he’d been granted. As he drifted off to sleep, he got the urge to tell Izuku how he felt. He started to whisper it. The words formed on his lips and the tip of his tongue as he tried to mutter them.

“Izuku …. I ... “ 

But exhaustion got the better of him. He found himself floating off into a peaceful sleep, where his only dreams were of an amazing man with soft lips and calloused hands and eyes greener than the forest on a sunny day. He could always tell him tomorrow, when they were both fully conscious and present. For now, this was good enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyways, I had planned for shit to go down in this chapter, but because I was having a nervous breakdown I couldn't focus on writing that so instead I gave Shouto my own ptsd symptoms, but it all turned out all right in the end (both in the story and real life)! 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll get back to some real story progress other than emotional revelations in the next chapter! Also I start school tomorrow, so I might not be able to update every day, but I will still do so frequently!


	23. Feet Don't Fail Me Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouto and Izuku sleep in after staying up too late. Izuku is acting strange, but why? Uraraka decides it's time to have a talk with him about it ... only they are interrupted by a surprise visitor.

That next morning, Shouto got up and went to make breakfast for the whole crowd. There were six of them now, if he included himself and Shinsou. That was a good number of mouths to feed. However, when he got downstairs and found that everyone was already up and getting ready. The only ones missing from the scene were himself and Izuku. He’d forgotten how late they had stayed up that night talking that morning. _‘We must have slept in late. I should go wake him up, so he doesn’t miss the day,’_ Shouto thought, only he was stopped before he could retreat back upstairs. 

“Good morning sleepyhead,” Uraraka exclaimed. 

“What … time is it? Do I want to know?”

“It’s almost noon,” Iida scolded. “Todoroki, I must admit I expected better of a wizard of your stature, especially now that you’ve been appointed Royal Wizard!” 

“I’m not the Royal Wizard,” he insisted. “And I usually wake up earlier.”

“Todoroki, you have officially been appointed Royal Wizard in All Might’s absence. You can’t just ignore your duties,” Iida insisted. 

“Watch-” 

“Let’s …. Um drop this for now,” Uraraka interjected. She didn’t want her friends to fight, and she knew whatever Shouto was about to say would only upset Iida. The two were still fuming at eachother, but Todoroki backed down and softened his expression again.

“Fine,” the wizard said. “I was going to go wake up Izuku, but it occurs to me ... none of you have had breakfast, have you? I’ll get on that, then I’ll get him up to eat too.” 

“Actually, I already cooked breakfast for them all,” said a soft voice that Shouto hadn’t noticed before. It was Rei. 

“Mom,” he startled. “I didn’t realize you could get Shinsou to behave like that.” 

“He’s not the first fire demon I’ve dealt with, Shouto. Besides, I wasn’t about to let your friends starve. I think I still have a while to maintain this form, I’m getting better at it. I can make you breakfast too if you’d like. It’s been so long since I was able to cook for my baby.” 

He now knew how Izuku felt when Inko was sharing his embarrassing stories that day they’d toured the apartment. Despite the embarrassment he should have felt, he couldn’t find it in himself to care too much. It was awkward being called a baby, being a grown adult man, but this was his mother. He hadn’t gotten the chance to have too many real conversations with her since she’d arrived in the castle. 

“It’s alright, Mom. I’ll cook for myself. You just rest up.” 

“You always were so independent,” she cooed, as she pet him on the shoulder. 

He got to work cracking eggs into the frying pan on top of Shinsou, who didn’t seem happy to be used for cooking twice in one morning … if it still counted as morning. He grumbled in displeasure. 

“Why don’t you just use your fire power to cook breakfast? You’re using that hald now, but you still make me do all the hard work!”

“Hush, you,” he said to the demon. 

He looked up to meet the eyes of his mother, who was smiling fondly at him from the kitchen table. He had talked to her a few nights before about using his fire power. He’d recounted the things that Izuku had told him, and asked her if she thought it was right. He wanted to use it, but wanted to make sure she agreed before he could use the power without regrets. She’d said that she was proud of him for all he’d accomplished in the six years they’d been apart, and was glad to see him making progress. Ultimately, it was his power, and she said the decision was his to make, but she would support him no matter what. 

She nodded softly, as they both understood where each other’s thoughts had gone. He went back to scrambling eggs and cooking bacon, until he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Uraraka this time. 

“I’m going to go wake up Deku, since you both overslept.”

“Oh, thank you,” he muttered.

She nodded and went off to wake her best friend from his slumber. Izuku deserved to sleep in, but anyone sleeping past noon seemed wasteful to Shouto. He liked waking up early, and sleeping in as late as he had that morning would have driven him crazy if he hadn’t had a good reason for it.

He went back to cooking, and soon enough he heard laughter coming from the stairs. The pair were walking in, apparently joking with each other. Izuku’s eyes met Shouto’s and he blushed, turning back to Uraraka. She just smiled knowingly. _‘I wonder what that was about.’_ They came downstairs and the two boyfriends ate breakfast together, the green eyes man barely making eye contact the whole time. He found himself curious. _‘Did I do something wrong?’_

“Deku and I are going to go check on your scarecrow friend,” Uraraka announced suddenly to the wizard. “We shouldn’t be long.” 

“Alright,” he said hesitantly. Out of all the entrances, the garden was the safest place, since the flower shop was compromised by Dabi, and the rest of the wastes were always dangerous. He still didn’t like the idea of them going out there alone for some reason. Maybe it was that wizard intuition, or maybe he just wanted to spend more time with his boyfriend. 

The duo left the room, and Shouto found himself staring at the door. He wasn’t alone in his stare as Iida, Momo, Shinsou, and his mother were also looking. 

“Izuku is certainly acting strange,” Iida observed. 

Momo nodded. 

“I haven’t seen him act like that in a few weeks. I wonder what’s changed.” 

Shouto found himself wondering the same things. Was it because of what had happened that morning? Maybe Izuku had been more uncomfortable with the whole bath situation than he’d let on? Maybe he’d heard Shouto try and confess again and was getting fed up with his inability to tell him the truth on how he felt? Maybe he didn’t want to stay in a relationship with someone who couldn’t love him back, or at least couldn’t tell him. _‘No. He’s not like that, you’re just being paranoid,’_ he reminded himself. He was trying to be better at calling himself out in that way, and stopping himself from worrying too much. _‘It will be fine. Whatever is going on, Uraraka is on it.’_

・・・・・

Izuku followed his best friend outside, where she led him into the gardens and to the cottage at the end of the field. He knew that meeting the strange scarecrow wasn’t Uraraka’s only motive for bringing him out here. He could see the look in her eye when she was about to give him a talking to. Whenever she had something serious to talk about, she put on her signature face. Her brows furrowed together and her eyes showed the most intimidating determination he’d ever seen. She had a powerful aura about her, and it would have scared him if she wasn’t his best friend. 

“Uraraka?”

“Yes?” She replied too quickly, and her voice was not the same plucky one he was used to. This was much more aggressive. 

“Why are we really out here?” 

“You’re acting way too awkward around Todoroki even after the talk we had earlier, so I brought you out here to clarify.” 

The first discussion they’d had was what she’d woken him up with. She shook his shoulder until he was conscious, and then she broke it to him that he’d slept until noon. She followed this up by asking exactly what he and Shouto had done that night that left them both so tired. He’d half wished Iida was the one to wake him up, because he wouldn’t think twice about them both sleeping in. He would have just assumed they were both tired coincidentally. 

Izuku insisted it wasn’t what she thought. They had only stayed up late because Shouto had a panic attack and he was worried about him. They’d both been so caught up talking with each other that they lost track of time and fell asleep eventually due to exhaustion. Uraraka thought that was sweet, but looked sad when he mentioned the wizards near confession. 

“You have to be patient, Deku. You know he cares about you, right?” 

“I know, I just don’t know how to feel about these near confessions. It’s like he wants to tell me, but he can’t bring himself to say it. What if he’s just forcing himself to say it because I confessed to him first? What if I’m making him feel bad? I mean, he did say he’s incapable of love.”

“I don’t believe him on that, and he wouldn’t just confess to you out of obligation. Deku, you’ve been nothing but good for him and he can see that. Just because he hasn’t said it yet, doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. He just has some things to work through before he can tell you.” 

“How can you be sure?”

“A wizard has her ways,” she retorted. 

“Hey, I have magic too you know!” 

“I know you do, and I’m so happy for you! Maybe I’ll get to see it in action some time,” she said in her usual bubbly tone. His best friend was back. 

“Anyways, I heard that you have your own romance going on.”

“What? How did- did Todoroki tell you?” 

“Mhm.”

“I wanted to tell you in person, that’s why I didn’t write to you about her. I … really like this girl, Deku.” 

“What’s her name?”

“Well her wizard name is Froppy, but I call her Tsu. She specializes in, get this, frog magic! She has a lot of frog like attributes that seem to run in her family because of some dark magic a few generations ago. She even makes frog noises sometimes! It’s really cute.” 

“Neat!”

“I know right? She’s one of Thirteen’s other interns, so we see each other nearly every day. I don’t think Thirteen knows we’re dating, but he’s a bit clueless about teen dating habits. I mean, he thought Todoroki and I were dating, can you believe it?” 

“Ha ha,” Izuku chuckled nervously. Who would believe something silly like that, right? 

“Anyways, he wanted us to work together on difficult spells, and we sort of worked together too well. We make a great team!” 

“I’m really happy for you!” 

“Thanks, I’m happy too. I’m glad we had this talk, but before we go back inside, I want to see this All Might looking scarecrow!” 

“Oh- sure! I have to check in on him anyways, make sure everything is going alright.” 

“You mean going ... All Might,” she chuckled. 

Izuku burst out in laughter. He was a sucker for a good pun, and Uraraka knew it. All Might puns were very important to him. 

The duo approached the safehouse where the scarecrow resided, and Izuku poked his head in. He caught the scarecrow staring out the window, overlooking the field. He walked over to join him. From the outside of the cottage, the windows looked in on an empty house no matter what. It was only from the inside that the windows told the truth. The view looking out was gorgeous. He could see the whole field of flowers, and then the mountains i the distance past it all.

“Hello,” Izuku greeted the creature. 

“Good afternoon, young Midoriya,” he greeted back. “How are you?” 

“I’m good, thanks. Just thought I would check in on you. Also I have a friend who wanted to meet you, if that’s alright.” 

“That would be lovely,” he said as he followed Izuku to the doorway and outside to where Uraraka was waiting. Her eyes widened at the sight before her. Her jaw dropped as she looked over the scarecrow. 

“The resemblance is uncanny! I mean if All Might lost a hundred pounds of muscle he might look like this! Where did you find him?” 

“I found him in the wastes, upside down in a bush. Though, he can talk now, thanks to Shouto. You can ask him questions directly.” 

She turned to the scarecrow man and thought it over for a second, still deciding what questions she should ask. She seemed to settle on one, and she went over to the scarecrow to ask face to face.

“Do you know why you were made to look like All Might?” 

“Uraraka,” Izuku protested. It seemed a bit rude, and he couldn’t answer anyways. 

“No, it’s fine my boy. I don’t know why I was made like this. Young Todoroki believes I have a haze spell put over me, preventing me from accessing my memories.” 

“Huh,” she said. “That makes sense.” 

Uraraka was about to continue asking questions, when there was the sound of a cracking twig to their side, drawing he attention of the whole trio. Izuku saw a man with jet black hair and a tired looking face step out from the side of the cabin. He feigned surprise at being caught by them.

“Oops, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you like that,” he said in a less than sincere tone. “Hello everyone.” 

“Deku,” Uraraka asked tentatively. “Who is this?” 

“This is-“

“I’m Todoorki’s brother. My name is Dabi, nice to meet you,” he said offering his hand to Uraraka. 

She was hesitant to accept the handshake, and Izuku stepped in front of her defensively. She had always defended him, now it was his time to return the favor. He knew what Shouto had said about this man, and he didn’t trust him. He wasn’t really family, he was just another one of Endeavor’s henchmen. 

“Don’t listen to him, Uraraka!” 

“Tch, is that any way to treat your boyfriend’s family?” 

“I don’t believe you, Dabi. You’re not really a Todoroki, you’re just a demon.” 

“Is that really what you believe? Even after the proof I showed you?” 

He reached forwards and grabbed Izuku’s locket that hung around his neck, causing Izuku to choose between stepping closer to Dabi, or having the locket ripped off. Izuku had to regain his balance, as he nearly fell over from the force of the grab. He stood as far away from Dabi as the necklace would allow. 

“Hey, back off,” Uraraka yelled, pushing him away, and releasing Izuku from the man’s grip. Izuku grasped at the necklace, and covered it protectively. 

Meanwhile, the demon looked surprised at having been pushed. He’d evidently underestimated Uraraka’s abilities. Izuku realized the demon didn’t know anything about her. She was a wildcard in Endeavor’s plan evidently. What else did the man not know about? Dabi was clearly spying on himself and Shouto, since he knew they were dating, and he knew about the flower shop. Now, he knew about the field and the safehouse, which wasn’t ideal. Did he know where the castle was at the moment? Did he know where the black door went? 

“Dabi,” Izuku said through gritted teeth. “Even if you were Shouto’s brother that doesn’t give you any right to be part of his life if he doesn’t want you in it. You can’t decide who he talks to, and neither can I, so why are you still bothering me about this? It’s not something I could change even if I wanted to.” 

“Haven’t you noticed? You can change a lot of things with your magic, Izuku Midoriya.” 

“I would never help you!”

“But, you already are helping me. Thank you for your time. I guess I’ll leave you to go back to the castle. I’d tell you to give my regards to Shouto but … I suppose it’s too late for that now,” he sneered. 

“I won’t fall for your tricks,” Izuku yelled at him. 

“Then go see for yourself. Or, more accurately, don’t see. I’ll tell him you miss him when he’s back at the mansion,” he snickered as his body went up in flames and became nothing. He was gone without a trace, and in his place he’d left a sinking fear that sickened Izuku to his gut. 

“Uraraka, we have to go make sure Shouto is okay! I’m going to run back to the castle! Make sure the scarecrow gets into the Safehouse!” 

“Okay, I’m on it!”

It couldn’t be true! That curse hadn’t been fulfilled yet, had it? How could he have taken Shouto when he was safe inside the castle? What was he missing? His mind ran a mile a minute, and his legs only wished they could travel as fast. Each second that he spent moving towards the castle was a second that Endeavor could be there, taking Shouto away from him forever. He felt hot tears rolling down his cheeks, and being blown away by the air that rushed in his face from the speed at which he was running. He knew his body wasn’t supposed to run so fast, but he couldn’t care. 

“Come on, legs! Don’t give up now, I need to save him!” 

・・・・・

“Todoroki, don’t you think they should be back by now?”

It was Momo who asked. They had been sitting in the house awaiting Uraraka and Izuku’s return for quite some time now. He hoped they were alright, but he had a bad feeling about it. Something didn’t sit right in his gut, like his organs were twisting in on each other slowly. Momo was right. Uraraka had said they would only be a moment, hadn’t she? 

“I’m starting to get worried,” he agreed. “I should go check on them.” 

“It could be a trap,” she reminded him. 

“If my father tries anything, it will definitely be a trap of some sort. The only question is, how is he trying to trap me? He’s tricky, and anything he does could be puppets or illusions, but he knows I’m aware of his abilities, so he will mix it up. Some of the things will definitely be real. If he throws a fireball at me, there’s a chance it could be an Illusion, but I’m still going to have to dodge it or find out the hard way. If there’s a change he’s hurt Izuku again I … I can’t stand by and do nothing.” 

“Then at least let me come with you,” she said stubbornly. 

“She’s right, Shouto. You shouldn’t go alone,” his mother told him. 

“No, I need you all to hold down the castle in case he tries to attack here. If he gets to Shinsou, it’s all over. Mother, you should go back to your dog form just in case. Save up your energy, I have a feeling we might need your help later.” 

She looked reluctant, but complied anyways and took the form of a Schnauzer. Momo looked between them, torn. She wanted to follow her friend and mentor’s instructions, but wanted to help as well. She tried to think of a plan, but before she could, Shouto was heading to the door. 

“Todoroki, please think this through,” she begged. 

“No, I have to act now. Father won’t allow me any time to hesitate,” he said as he rushed out the door. 

Endeavor wasn’t above hurting Izuku. He’d done it that day at the palace just to send a message, and Shouto didn’t want to find out how far he would go. If Izuku was alright and he ran out here for nothing, it would just be a silly mistake. But, if his boyfriend was in real trouble, he had to act as soon as possible. What was his father planning? _‘Hasn’t Izuku been hurt enough?’_

He ran through the fields looking for green hair, but not seeing anything. Then he noticed Uraraka by the safehouse. She was pushing the scarecrow towards the door, but he seemed to not want to go in. Instead, the scarecrow was trying to run towards the castle. That was odd, but he didn’t have time to stop and think He approached them, and they both stopped their squabble as they spotted him.

“Todoroki? You’re okay?” 

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be? And where’s Izuku?”

“Izuku ran ahead. He asked me to make sure your All Might lookalike got back into the safehouse, but he doesn’t want to go!”

“I cannot stand by while others get hurt!” The scarecrow yelled. 

“Why did he run ahead?” 

“Your brother showed up and made us think you were in trouble! But if you’re here, than that means ...”

“Dabi,” the wizard cursed. “Which way did Izuku run?” 

“He went down this way, maybe we can still catch him!” 

Shouto ran with Uraraka down the pathway that Izuku had taken, until he rounded the corner and froze in place. Before him he saw Izuku, but he wasn’t doing well. He was fighting back tears, and is left arm looked broken. His other arm was being held by Endeavor, who had used it to hoist him off the ground. Izuku struggled with a pained look on his face, but as he noticed Shouto that expression turned to pure panic. Endeavor followed his gaze and saw his son, no more than fifteen feet away. He smiled that same unsettling and creepy smile that Shouto knew all too well. 

“Shouto,” Izuku called out. “Please! It’s a trap, don’t-” 

Endeavor covered Izuku’s mouth before he could finish the sentence, but Shouto got the message. Trap or not, he wasn’t going to let his father take away the man he loved, especially before he’d gotten a chance to tell him that. He felt suddenly guilty for putting his feelings off for so long. Why couldn’t he have just told Izuku that morning? _‘I’m going to get him back and I’ll tell him then,’_ he resolved. He took the first step forward and summoned a wall of ice around his father and his boyfriend. It blocked off all exits by foot, as he surged towards them. Seeing this, Endeavor suddenly flew up into the air, taking Izuku with him. 

Izuku struggled in his arms, trying to escape even if it would mean falling from a great height. Shouto knew he could catch him if he fell, and he wasn’t worried. Still, he had to be precise with his attacks and pursuit so he wouldn’t cause Izuku further injury. Where was his father taking them? They weren’t headed towards the Todoroki family mansion, so where was Endeavor running to? He wasn’t going to let him get there, no matter what. 

“Hang in there, Izuku,” he yelled after him. “I won’t let him take you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are really starting to pick up! I did promise they would. Go get your man, Shouto!


	24. I Met You Long Ago

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not even going to put chapter descriptions because I don't know how to do that without spoiling So Much. Anyways, Shouto looking for Izuku is being put on hold for a moment as we check in on Izuku and see things from his perspective for a while.

Izuku was still running to the castle. He could see the doorway in view, and it would only be another fifty feet or so. It wasn’t much, but it felt like it took an eternity to get there. He skidded to a halt awkwardly, and pulled the door open. _‘Maybe you’ll get in there and he’ll be perfectly fine. Dabi lies a lot, this could just be part of it,’_ he told himself. 

Of course, when he opened the door Shouto was nowhere to be seen. Still, there didn’t seem to be any sign of a struggle. The room was just as it had been left, only now it was missing one wizard. If he’d been taken, why did no one seem to care? He found Momo and approached. She would be able to explain it all to him. 

“Oh. Hello, Izuku,” she said. “We were wondering what was taking you and Uraraka so long.”

“Where’s Shouto?” His voice was shaky from panic.

“He went out to look for you. Izuku, are you okay? You’re all out of breath. You should sit down for a minute, I’m sure he’ll come back in when he realizes you’re not out there. Though, I suppose he’ll probably think you’ve been kidnapped.” 

“That’s just it, Momo! Dabi showed up,” he said. The name earned a growl from Rei, who was sitting by the fireplace. “He made it seem like Shouto was being taken, so I ran here. I can’t be sure he’s safe until I find him!” 

“Wait, Izuku. This is definitely a trap! Won’t either of you listen to me? We have to stop and formulate a plan or else we’ll just play into Endeavor’s hands!” 

“Momo, he’s out there and in danger!” 

“And you will be too if you rush out there without thinking ahead! I tried to tell Todoroki the same thing, but you’re both so stubborn and too willing to put yourselves in danger to help each other!” 

“What would you suggest I do?” 

“Give me a minute to create something to make our search a lot quicker,” she said. Her arm started to glow, and out of it popped a small silver pendant on a six inch chain. The bottom of the pendant came to a fine point, and as Momo held it out, the chain was completely still. 

“What is this?” 

“It’s for divination. I’ve never been any good at it, but with your power, if you ask it to take you to Todoroki I’m sure it will work.”

He took the pendant in his hand. He remembered how casting other spells worked. This just barely qualified as talking magic, so he figured channeling the extra energy would help. _‘Focus on the feeling,’_ he reminded himself. He thought about Shouto, about needy kisses from soft lips, and strong arms, and that signature fond smile that Izuku had fallen so helplessly in love with. He tried to imagine finding him. He pictured opening a door and finding his boyfriend on the other side, unharmed and happy to see him. _‘Now put that energy into the spell,’_ he told himself. 

“Please, help me save Shouto,” he asked the pendant. 

As soon as the sentence was finished, the pendant lurched forwards in the direction of the castle’s door, guiding Izuku’s hand with it. He looked at Momo, who nodded. He took the next step, and the step after that, until he came to the door and opened it. As soon as the door opened, the pendant dropped and stood still once more. 

“I don’t get it,” he admitted. 

“Oh no,” she gasped. “Finding spells like this only work within a certain distance, so he must be out of reach. I … I took too long, I’m sorry!”

“Wait, I don’t think that’s it! He might be too far away from the field now, but it was working inside the house.” He closed the door, and the spell picked up, leading him to the door once again. “It’s working! So that must mean, even if he’s not accessible through the garden door, he’s still within reach of another door!”

He turned the handle to the flower shop and opened it, only for the spell to drop once more. He then did the same for the castle’s door to the wastes, and had the same reaction. Suddenly, he felt a shiver as he realized what door was left. He turned the handle to the black door, and when he opened it the spell remained. The pendant launched itself towards the dark abyss that filled the doorway. 

“No, it can’t be,” he gasped. 

“The black door? But Todoroki has never told me what’s inside that door.”

“In my dream, I had to go through this door,” he confessed. 

“And then what happened?” 

“Nothing good,” he informed her. “But it’s the only lead I have … I have to try it anyways.”

He stuck his hand through it, and it felt cold against his skin. It was like sticking his hand in a pond, only when he pulled his hand away no moisture came back with it. It wasn’t full of cold water, only full of a self contained cold darkness. He felt a shiver all the way down his spine, and everything in his mind told him to stay where it was safe … but his heart told him to go. 

He stepped through the door. His first step in was slow. He made sure there was something to step into on the other side. Then, he forced his whole body through as quickly as he could, like ripping off a bandaid. He heard a bark behind him, and he realized that Rei had followed him in. He supposed she had just as much of a right to look for Shouto as he did. They both loved him dearly.

The door slammed behind them. They were both here for however long this would take, it seemed. It was freezing inside the darkness, and he knew it was just like in his dream. 

“Damn you, prophecies,” he muttered as his teeth chittered together. 

He couldn’t see any fires like he had before, but he could feel the divination pendant pulling him forward and he obliged. Slowly, a blue glow appeared before him. He wasn’t sure what is was, but it felt familiar. It wasn’t flame, or sky. It was something else. He took off into a sprint like before, and before he knew it he was in a small room that he knew very well.

He was inside the cottage at the end of the flower field, but it looked more lived in. There desk had an open notebook on it, and Izuku realized someone must have been here taking notes shortly before he arrived. He went over to it and read the notes. There were diagrams of constellations and stars on the pages as well as calculations about speed and velocity that were too complicated for Izuku to follow. He flipped through the other pages and found notes on healing magic, duplication, and protection spells. When he turned to the cover, he saw the name on it read “Shouto Todoroki.” He dropped the book with a gasp, and almost spilled the ink to its side. 

“Shouto’s notebook? But why is he here?”

Izuku looked around the room once more. He noticed the chalk marks and protection spells that were scrawled on the walls were fresh, like they’d been drawn recently. There were books all around, some of which he recognized from Shouto’s collection in their bedroom. How did they get here? The fireplace still showed embers from a natural fire, not one caused by a demon. Shinsou wasn’t here. The boots next to the door looked so small, and there was a young man’s jacket as well. If these were Shouto’s belongings … _‘Did i somehow travel in time?’_

He recalled the words that Shouto had said about being able to see into the years past. Was this his view into them? Then why had it been so strange looking in the dream? He had to investigate more. 

The windows looked out into a field, but it wasn’t the same one that Izuku knew. It had a few wildflowers interspersed here and there, but it was nothing like the garden the wizard had cultivated. The sky was a pure navy blue, but there was something mystical about it. Parts of it seemed to glow more than usual. 

Then he saw it. A single star from the sky started to shake, as if it were coming loose. He’d watched stars falling so many times in his life, that he knew what happened next. It struggled to retake its place in the sky, but lost its grip and found itself plummeting to the earth below. It left a bright blue streak in the dark night sky as it soared overhead and prepared to crash into the soil. Just as it did, Izuku noticed other stars following in its footsteps. They were cast from the heavens and each hit the ground with such force. They went out in giant balls of light, a final testament to their lives. 

Izuku found tears welling in the corners of his eyes. It was hard to believe this type of sight had made him happy at one point. When he was younger, and didn’t know that stars were sentient living creatures, he’d thought it was beautiful watching them soar. Now, he realized that the beauty came at such a high price. He wasn’t watching a wondrous phenomenon, he was witnessing death.

He heard a scratching noise and realized Rei was at the door, and he ran out open it. The walked out into the cool night air. On the patio, they watched the spectacle together. Suddenly, the pendant jerked upwards, towards the stars. It pointed him to one of the many blue streaks that passed by overhead. It felt … oddly familiar. 

What was worse, he could see the trajectory of the falling star. It was heading about three hundred feet away from him, to where a figure was standing. This person was young. They couldn’t be much older than twelve, Izuku figured. The lights of falling stars danced around, and illuminated this person for a split second. 

It was a young boy. He looked around the beautiful world, but his expression was neutral, like he knew how tragic the scene around him really was. His hair was parted down the centre, half red on one side and half white on the other. His face carried a gruesome scar over one of the eyes. 

“That’s Shouto! But he looks so young! He told me that he moved here after he left Kingsbury, and that while he was here … he met Shinsou!” 

He looked back to the star that was falling towards the young wizard. There was no doubt that the pendant was guiding him to that, so could that be the star that would become the wizard’s fire demon? But he’d asked the pendant to guide him to Shouto, not Shinsou, hadn’t he? 

“That’s it! I didn’t say, ‘find Shouto,’ I said, ‘help Shouto!’ This isn’t taking me to him, it’s teaching me what to do when I find him!” 

Spells were tricky. A simple word difference changed everything, but luckily this was just what Izuku needed to know. The last part of the contract was about to be revealed to him. He would find out what it was that Shouto had given up to keep Shinsou alive all these years. 

He watched closely as the star fell right into Shouto’s open palms. His neutral expression went away, and he formed his signature soft smile that Izuku had grown so fond of. He looked gentle and kind. Izuku could see how Shinsou would trust him. Even if the only other option hadn’t been certain death, that face was so persuasive. It seemed to say ‘I won’t let anything hurt you as long as I’m here.’ 

Izuku ran towards the wizard and his freshly caught star. He couldn’t change the past, and he didn’t want to change it. What had happened had happened, for better or for worse. He was grateful to have met Shinsou and Shouto both, and if this contract was the only thing keeping Shinsou from becoming a pile of ash … _‘What will happen to him when I break the contract?’_

He couldn’t do that just yet, but there was something he could do. What were the first words that Shouto had ever said to him? The wizard’s voice played back in his head. “There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you.”

Had he really been looking for him? He’d thought Shouto was bluffing, but maybe he’d truly meant it. _‘He was looking for me because I’m about to tell him to come find me,’_ Izuku realized. 

He watched Shouto as he approached. He was still talking to the star, who looked so small and fragile in Shouto’s gently cupped palms. The light leaned closer, whispering something into his ear. The wizard looked surprised, and then opened his mouth. As he breathed in, the light went with his breath. Shinsou disappeared, and for a moment it was dark. 

Suddenly, Shouto nearly doubled over in pain, and started coughing. He clutched at his chest painfully, and winced. _‘What is happening? I didn’t realize it hurt that much. Is Shouto always in that much pain?’_ Then, out of the hand against this chest, the wizard pulled a small lump. It was red, and beating. Was that …

“His heart … he gave up his own heart to keep Shinsou alive?” He was crying now. He’d given up something so important to save a total stranger? Izuku knew the man he loved was kind, but this was too much. “You gave up your heart, and that’s why you think you can’t love anyone? Shouto, you fool.” 

The heart in his hand ignited in a purple flame, taking the form of the fire demon Izuku had grown to know and love. The small purple fire marveled at the fact he was still alive, while Shouto smiled. He looked so proud to have saved the demon.

Izuku could feel himself being pulled back out of the scene and into the darkness of the room once more. Rei barked, as she too was pulled back. He ran as fast as his legs would allow. _‘I have to say something while I still can!’_

“Shouto! Shinsou! It’s me, Izuku,” he yelled out to them. He noticed the young boy turn to him, wide eyed. He had his attention. “I know how to help you now! Come find me in the future!” 

They were the final words he got out, before the abyss swallowed him up and he found himself drifting through an endless swirl of skies and darkness. There were days, and nights, and sunsets. He felt himself tumbling, unable to orient himself properly. His tears turned to sobs, and it was so tempting to just curl up there and let himself drift on endlessly, but instead he felt something nuzzle him. To his side was Rei who had managed to right herself and was prompting him to do the same. 

“I’m sorry,” he sobbed softly. “I just … I can’t seem to stop crying.” 

Rei looked understanding, but urged him forwards nonetheless. 

“You’re right, how can I stop to cry now? I still haven’t saved him, I’ve only just learned how!”

Rei barked affirmatively, and she led him forwards. The tears didn’t stop, if anything they got worse, but Izuku pushed forwards anyways. The teardrops floated into the distant sunsets and skies of Shouto’s past. Maybe they would fall like rain on some day in his boyfriend’s history. 

He couldn’t help but wonder, did Shouto really see him all those years ago? How long had he been hoping to find him again? Did he even realize what it was he needed help with? Maybe he should have said more, but he’d had mere seconds. Besides, the wizard was always vague, a taste of his own medicine wouldn’t kill him. 

Then the door back to the castle was before him, and he opened it up, returning to the main room where Momo and Iida were looking on expectantly. They seemed afraid when Izuku returned sobbing and without Shouto. Momo gathered herself to speak. 

“Izuku, is he …” 

“No, he wasn't there, at least not how I expected. I cast the spell wrong, but it’s okay! I swear, I’m not trying to cry right now,” he sobbed. He turned to the demon resting in their hearth. “Shinsou, hang in there. I’m going to save you both, I swear. I know how to save him now, I just have to find him. ”

Izuku wasn’t going to give up, especially not now that he was so close to what he’d been trying to do for weeks. Shouto wasn’t with him now, but he’d get him back. There was no stopping, no hesitation. He could do it. He would find his boyfriend, and give him his heart back. _‘I’m ready. I can do this! I can save Shouto!’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene has always been one of my favorites in the movie, and so I was so happy writing this! It's just so beautifully animated and emotionally compelling, I hope I did it a little justice!


	25. The Todoroki Mansion

Izuku rushed to the closet and pulled out the Seven League Boots. They were a nuisance from time to time, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care about that now. In that moment, he knew they were his only hope at getting to the man he loved before it was too late. 

Dabi had told him Shouto would be taken to the Todoroki Mansion, but where was that? Izuku recalled his boyfriend telling him that it was on the edge of the Wastes, but that could be anywhere. There had to be more. _‘Think, Izuku!’_

Kingsbury had been the first town that Shouto went to after he escaped his father. That wasn’t the sort of place you went if you were a homeless teenage wizard, unless it was already close by. It made sense for Endeavor to build his home as close to Kingsbury as he could get while still being in the Wastes. The man was fixated on the crown and All Might, so he’d want to be near both. Izuku tried to think of what parts of the Wastes would be nearby Kingsbury. 

“Shinsou,” he called. “Is there a part of the Wastes that is near Kingsbury?” 

“Well, there’s a forest at the edge of Kingsbury that stretches for miles. Parts of it do go into the Wastes, but it’s not exactly next door. Why do you ask?” 

“I need to get to the Todoroki Mansion,” Izuku said with a no nonsense tone. “I think it’s near Kingsbury, because that’s where Shouto went when he first got away from his father.” 

“Hmm. That’s possible,” the demon agreed. “When we first made the castle he made me agree never to go near that forest, but he never explained why.” 

“Then that has to be it!” 

Izuku tried to take a step forward and head to the door, but he realized something was a tugging at his pant leg. He looked down and noticed Rei trying to get his attention. _‘She must want to come with me to save her son,’_ he realized. 

“I’m sorry Rei, I can’t take you with me. If Endeavor sees you, you’ll become another target.”

She kept tugging at the pant leg. She wasn’t taking no for an answer. As he struggled to free himself from he grip he noticed her start to glow. Soon enough she had transformed back into her human form and stood by his side. She looked down at him somberly.

“This isn’t up for discussion,” she said. “I’m coming with you. I know where the mansion is, and where Endeavor would hide him. If I don’t go with you, it will take too long to find him. This is the best course of action.” 

“I know you want to save him too but-” 

“Trust me on this, Izuku,” she said. “You shouldn’t go into that place alone.” 

With that, she reverted back into her dog form. She was now a grey and white Australian Shepherd with silky hair. Izuku still didn’t like the idea of taking her with him, but he couldn’t just ignore her. She was the mother of the man he loved, and she was a powerful wizard as well. She didn’t just have emotional stake in this journey, but she would be a powerful ally. As much as he wanted to make sure she was safe, he knew her guidance would expedite the journey. He needed her, even if he didn’t like it. 

“Fine. I’ll take you with me, then. I’m going to go change into the Seven League boots, so the second I take a step I’ll need to be carrying you or you’ll get left behind. I’ll take you there, then you can guide me around by pointing where to go. Just please … don’t reveal your true form unless you absolutely have to.” 

She reluctantly agreed, and ran to the door. 

“Which door will we be going to?” Izuku looked down at her, and decided it would be best to name them all and see which one she reacted to. “The shop? The Wastes? The field-”

She barked at the last option. 

“Alright then,” he agreed. They headed out to the stoop of the castle, where Izuku prepared his shoes and picked up Rei in his arms. He wasn’t very strong, but he managed to hold her in a way that didn’t stress his old joints. An australian shepherd wasn’t the smallest dog breed, but it was easier to carry than a great dane at the very least. 

He prepared to take the step, but just as his foot was about to hit the earth below he heard a shout from his side. He turned to look and saw Uraraka running at him while waving her arms.

“Deku,” she yelled. “Wait, Deku! Don’t-” 

But he couldn’t stop the momentum of his own step in time to hear the rest of her sentence. What was it she’d meant to warn him about? It was surely something important, but each moment he spent there was another moment that Shouto could be hurt or in trouble or … worse. There was no time to return and have a conversation with her. 

“I’m sorry, Uraraka,” he whispered to himself. “I can’t go back now.” 

He took step after step and felt the wind blowing in his face. It made it a bit hard to see, but watched the landscapes of the Wastes rush past him anyways. It really was a beautiful place sometimes. There were shimmering lakes and meandering rivers. There were fields with grass as high as his waist, deep valleys, and rolling hills. The sun shone on each scene, but Izuku knew how truly dangerous the wastes could be. 

Even before Endeavor, there had been wizards living out in the wastes for centuries. They were probably the ones who built the safehouse. Then there were the creatures that lived out here. Some were demons like Shinsou or Dabi, while others were wild animals. There were even rumors of corrupted wizards living deep into the wastes, who seemed to be unrecognizable as human anymore. Izuku was just starting to realize their corruption might have been caused by demons. That was what Aizawa had warned him about that day at the palace, hadn’t he? 

Whatever the royal advisor had meant by their conversation, Izuku had figured out how to save Shouto from it all. Once he gave his boyfriend his heart again, the contract would be broken. He tried not to think about the technicalities of breaking the contract. He told himself not to worry about what would become of Shinsou once he had no heart to ground himself with, or if Shouto’s body would accept the organ back so easily. Of course, he worried about it all anyways. Izuku couldn’t help his empathy. He feared for how the contract’s ending could hurt both parties, but he knew it would be worse if he didn’t end it. _Shouto needs his heart back.’_ Now, he only had to reach the wizard, he could figure out the rest later. 

Izuku’s steps were carrying him farther away from the castle with each second, and closer to the place he knew Shouto was being held in. _‘I’m coming, Shouto! Please hold on for me.’_

Soon enough he saw a shape on the horizon. It was a house … no, it was far bigger than any house had a right to be. It looked more like a castle than the so called castle he lived in himself. The mansion he approached was surrounded by high walls on all sides, and there was only one entrance. The building was made up of old marble, granite, and stone blocks with intricate carvings and statues along it. It seemed to have at least two or three floors, and four towers rising out of it, one at each corner. 

“If I pace my steps right, I should be able to make it through those gates without being seen. I’ll have to be careful, because if I do this wrong I might overshoot and wind up inside the castle’s foundation,” he muttered to himself. “Is it possible to end up inside of another object with these boots? What would happen to the matter I replaced? Would-” 

Rei cut off his muttering with a sharp bark, and he snapped back reality. He hadn’t realized how off task he’d gone, but he went back to calculating how many more steps he had until he got through the gates. 

_‘Just a few more … one … two … stop!’_ The moment he couldn’t see the gates anymore, he skidded to a halt on one foot. Of course, at the speed in which he was running and the fact he was only using one foot, he found himself toppling over before he could catch himself. Rei leapt from his arms as he fell to his side, and hit the earth with a thud. 

“Ouch,” he groaned. It had been a less than graceful fall, and it certainly left him with some bruises. Nothing seemed to be broken, and his already broken finger seemed no worse than it was beforehand. It hurt, but he could still move. His hip seemed to have taken the brunt of the impact, but it stopped hurting after a minute.

He struggled to take off the Seven League boots before he entered. _‘I should have brought a change of shoes,’_ he thought to himself as he tossed the boots over his shoulder. He couldn’t walk around casually in boots that would take him a dozen miles for each step he took. His socks would have to do. 

Together the pair approached the large mansion doors and snuck inside. Apart from what came through the windows and doorway, there was no light in the house. The place almost looked abandoned. The massive chandeliers that hung from the ceiling had no candles left in them, instead they were covered in melted wax and the same thick layer of dust that coated everything else in the house. 

“How long has it been like this?” 

Izuku looked around the room they were in. Decorative vases, family heirlooms, and hung paintings were all caked in a dusty grey coating. It seemed like Endeavor hadn’t bothered to take care fo the place. It must have looked nice at some point, hadn’t it? As his eyes scanned the place he noticed a portrait on the wall that called out to him. It was so familiar, and as he wiped away the dust with his hand he came to realize why that was. 

When he took his hand back, there was a face staring at his own with piercing blue eyes and red hair. It was the older brother that he’s seen in Dabi’s locket. He wiped away more and saw the other siblings, as well as Rei and baby Shouto. He didn’t bother to uncover the part that had Endeavor. 

Then he noticed more portraits leading further down the hall. He started to follow them out of curiosity, unable to focus on the task at hand. Rei barked behind him, a reminder that they weren’t here to explore, but he ignored it. There was so much history here, so much he didn't understand. Was the key to that understanding within the story this wall told? 

The hallway had so many portraits, and the next one was a portrait of Shouto himself. He was dressed in a fancy blue suit and his father was behind him. They were very formally posed; standing up straight with their arms behind their backs and not a smile between them. There was more to the expression however. Shouto looked pleading almost, like he was asking Izuku to take him away from it all. That was why he was here, wasn’t it? Izuku came to save Shouto but ...

There was a compelling desire to keep going down the hallway. He knew it wasn’t the right direction to go to, so he tried to fight it. He told his legs to stop, to turn around, but they ignored his internal please. _‘What is happening?’_ There was a door at the end of the hallway, and he could tell he was moving towards it. _‘That portrait must have been bespelled, and it activated when I touched it! I should have been more careful,’_ he realized. Now, he was falling for whatever sort of trap Endeavor had set up unless-

Rei bit the leg of his pants and pulled him backwards sharply. He snapped out of the spell’s hypnosis and realized himself. He gasped at the sudden change, and averted his gaze from the hallway. Rei started to run, and looked back, urging him to follow. 

“I’m sorry, you were right! This place is too dangerous to be alone. If you hadn’t saved me there I …” He didn’t know what would have happened. “Let’s keep going. I’ll try and be more careful.” 

They jogged down a corridor and up a staircase, then through a dining room and an library. Each room was just as extravagantly made as the first, yet they were also as untouched and unloved. The mansion seemed to be full of the finest everything, only for it to sit there for eternity. Izuku couldn’t help but think of it as such a waste. All these resources and things that he and his mother wouldn’t have dreamed of, and they were just sitting there unused. 

He could see why Shouto was so used to living with spiders. Afterall, the mansion he grew up in was like a breeding ground for them. They could have had entire civilizations inside this dark place and Izuku would have been none the wiser. 

“It’s getting a bit hard to see,” he admitted. There were fewer and fewer windows the further into the mansion they traveled. He knew that dogs had better vision in low light than humans did, and he was thankful that Rei could still tell where she was going. 

It made him sad to think of Shouto growing up in such a dark and lonely place like this. He’d been completely isolated from the rest of the world for so long. He imagined the young man he’d seen through the black door walking around with a candle in his hand to guide him. _‘His whole life Shouto must have been so lonely,’_ he thought. _‘But I won’t let him be lonely any longer. I won’t let his father do that to him again.’_

Suddenly Rei stopped at a door, and he nearly tripped over her. It was an metal door with several locks all down the outside and a crossbar to keep it shut. A bit of light could be seen under the doorway, where the wood didn’t meet the floor quite right. It was the only light that Izuku had seen in the house so far. 

He did his best to undo the locks and lift the crossbar, but it was heavier than it looked and most of the locks needed keys. They weren’t the average lock and this wasn’t the average door either, They both looked like they were made of some serious metal, probably to withstand high temperatures. _‘Those are to keep Shouto from melting his way out, aren’t they?_

“I don’t have time for this,” he whispered. “Unlock yourselves right now and let me in.” 

With the power of his voice, the locks all undid themselves and the crossbar lifted up suddenly. The door’s hinges relented, and it swung inwards gently with a loud creaking sound. 

Izuku rushed into the room as quickly as he could. It was rather small, and had only the basic amenities. There was a desk and chair with some parchment, quills, and an inkwell for note taking. A bed was up against the wall, and a small shelf housed books that had been deemed important was hung above it. The light was coming from a couple sconces on the wall whose candle’s never seemed to run out of wax. Izuku cared about none of this. 

What he did care about was the man lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling hopelessly. He looked tired, and sad, and just devoid of any dreams of escaping again. _‘Shouto …’_ When Izuku stepped in, he sat up to look at him, and the look he gave broke Izuku’s heart. He seemed confused more than anything, like he couldn’t believe that someone was here to rescue him. 

A bittersweet smile found Izuku’s face and he ran to the bed, pulling his boyfriend into his arms and holding him tight. 

“Shouto! I’m so sorry,” he sobbed into his boyfriend’s shoulder. His heart was pounding out of his chest, and his face soon found itself soaked with tears that fell against the wizard’s clothing. “I’m never going to let him take you again, I swear! I was so afraid that you were gone forever and I … I’m just glad I found you!” 

“Izuku, what are you doing here?” 

“I came to rescue you, of course! Dabi said he was taking you here, so I got here as fast as I could.” 

“How did you find me? And how did you get here so fast?” 

“I used the seven league boots, remember? And I determined where the mansion would be from clues you left here and there.” 

“Of course,” he said tiredly. 

“You must be exhausted, I’m sorry. I’ll take you back home now, and you can sleep while the rest of us come up with a plan. Are you injured at all? Did he hurt you?” 

“I’m fine, no need to worry about me.” 

“Of course I’m going to worry about you Shouto. I will always worry about you. It’s … it’s because I love you. I know you think you can’t love anyone because you don’t have a heart, but I can tell you feel something for me too. Even without a heart you’re one of the most caring and selfless people I know.” 

“But-” 

“No, you need to conserve your energy. We can talk about it we get back home. Just follow me and I’ll get you out of here. I know how to break your contract, I can save you.”

“You can?” 

“Yes! I saw it in your past. Do you remember that first time we met? Not that day in Market Chipping, but that night in the field all those years ago…” 

Izuku looked at Shouto and saw no recognition in his eyes. Despite this, he smiled softly and nodded. 

“How could I forget?” 

_‘That’s not right. He doesn’t remember it at all. Why is he pretending he does? Unless … this isn’t really Shouto.’_ Izuku felt a chill run down his spine, and almost backed away out of instinct, but stopped himself. He had to be careful about this. He couldn’t reveal what he’d realized … not yet. _‘He doesn’t know that I know.’_

Izuku nudged Rei with his foot. Shouto hadn’t seen her yet, and so she needed to hide. How could he alert her to the danger without the imposter noticing her? 

“Well, we should really get you out of this _danger here_ ,” he said in a completely inconspicuous way. He put extra emphasis on the part about danger, as he continually nudged Rei. It wasn’t very subtle, but it seemed the imposter wasn’t that observant. The real Shouto would have questioned the behavior instantly. 

“Right,” the fake wizard agreed. “You’ve done enough work just getting here, let me show you the way out.”

“Oh, you really don’t have to do that,” Izuku insisted. There was no way about it, this Shouto was about to lead him into a trap. “You must be tired, besides I got myself here didn’t I? We can just go the way I came in.” 

“Izuku, this is the least I can do considering you came to rescue me. Besides, I lived here for years. I know a shortcut.” 

He said it so convincingly that Izuku almost wanted to believe him. Maybe he was just easily persuaded by Shouto because of his feelings, or maybe it was another spell set up by Endeavor, but he almost took the wizard at his word … almost. 

“It doesn’t matter how quickly we escape,” Izuku protested. “We should go the safest route. I know the way I came in was safe, so we should take that.” 

“Don’t you trust me, Izuku?” The duplicate put a hand up to Izuku’s cheek and looked at him lovingly. It might have been convincing if Izuku wasn’t so terrified. He felt his pulse quicken and his heart was practically beating out of his chest. “I would never ask you to do anything that put you in harms way.” 

Was it Endeavor who controlled this fake Shouto, or was it Dabi? Either way, they were trying to play with his emotions to get him to comply. It wasn’t going to work. 

“Alright, Shouto. I’ll follow you anywhere … but first I have to ask you a favor,” he requested. He could barely hear himself talk over his own pulse. 

“Anything for you,” the wizard responded softly. The words felt bitter to Izuku, since he knew they weren’t really coming from the man he loved. He would make Endeavor choke on those words.

Izuku saw no other way to find out the truth, and he wasn’t about to let walk right into the trap that lay ahead for him. He took a deep breath and looked right at the pretend Shouto in front of him. He got a good long look before that face would be gone. 

“I need you to reveal your true form to me, and never pretend to be Shouto again,” he yelled as he lept backwards, unsure what form the creature was about to take. 

The wizard before him looked shocked and betrayed as he started to transform. His skin lost its pigment and turned into a black slime, starting with his hands and feet, then traveling up his body. His face was the last thing to fade. While it still had a mouth the creature called out to Izuku. 

“How did you know?” 

“I know Shouto better than any of you. You couldn't quite capture the look in his eyes.” 

“Curse you,” the creature said as it melted to black ooze, and lay still on the floor. The words had no power, as no real curse was muttered, so Izuku had nothing to worry about. 

“I’ve had my fill of curses, thank you very much,” he muttered. 

He then ran to the doorway to leave, but before he could escape his path was blocked, not by a door or barrier, but by a man. Izuku stopped himself before he walked into the massive figure that stood before him, and the figure engulfed itself in flames, forcing Izuku to step backwards. They singled at his hands and forearms, but he otherwise remained unscathed. 

He looked up to meet the piercing aqua eyes of the man who was blocking him him. His body burned, but his eyes were cold and piercing. They looked as if they would not hesitate to burn him alive just to prove his point, and that terrified him. 

“And here I thought that was my most realistic duplicate yet,” he scowled. “You had to go and ruin it.” 

“I’m _sorry_ to disappoint you,” Izuku muttered bitterly, and unapologetically. 

“You might not be sorry now, but you will be soon, I will see to it personally,” said Endeavor maliciously. 

Izuku thought it was an empty threat until he suddenly felt something behind him grab at his wrists and ankles, holding him in place. The ooze that he’d thought was done for lunged at him, restraining him and shackling his hands together behind his back. He fell to his knees as his ankles were swept out from underneath him. _‘That’s certainly going to bruise,’_ he noted. 

“Now that you’re in a better position to listen, how about we have a chat? We have some time before Shouto gets here, so we should make use of it.” 

“What do you mean ‘before Shouto gets here?’”

“Well, I sent my son on a wild goose chase. I made him think I’d already kidnapped you, and so he went off chasing an Illusion I made. I have to admit, I got the idea from what he pulled during our last fight. I thought it was only fitting I should make him chase me after all the time I spent chasing you, don’t you think?” 

“No, I think you’re an awful father,” he spat. 

“Of course you do, because you don’t understand. You and Shouto are squandering your potential. If I had both your magic nothing would stop me from taking my revenge on All Might and King Nedzu. It’s a shame the queen passed on before I could get revenge on her too, but killing her protege and successor will have to do. Now, where was I? Right, I was explaining how Shouto would get here.” 

“You might trick him into following a duplicate, but you can’t trick him into coming here. He knows that would only be a trap, and saving me wouldn’t be worth the suffering he’s be put through if you captured him again.” 

“Do you truly believe that? How sad. I know for sure he will come once he realizes I have you here. Just you wait and see,” the wizard laughed. 

“I’m not going to wait around and find out if you’re right. Slime, get off me,” he commanded. It started to release him, but Endeavor took control of it again, and brought it up to cover Izuku’s mouth again. Its grip on his body tightened and he felt blood circulation being limited. 

“It didn’t have to be this tight, Izuku. If you struggle more it will only be worse for you. In fact ... I don’t have to keep you alive, really,” the man said as he lit up a hand and summoned a fireball. “Shouto knows you’re here now, but he’ll be none the wiser of your condition or your mortality until he arrives and sees for himself. Wouldn’t that be a shame?” 

Endeavor readied the fireball, as if he was about to throw it. Izuku desperately tried to uncover his mouth from the ooze, but to no avail. It was too tight around his lower face, and without his hands he couldn’t try and move it. _‘But what about my hands? My wrists are restrained, but my fingers aren’t. I can cast something else … a broken finger is better than a point blank hit from a fireball.’_

He imagined gathering enough force in his finger to blow the ooze away, like flicking it very fast. Timing that right, he could free his legs ankles and move out of the way, but for how long? The ooze might try and cover it back up. _‘Aside from my thumbs I have 7 non broken fingers. After this I’ll have 6 shots to clear it away before I’m out of moves.’_

He aimed, and fired. Just before the fireball released, he cleared the ooze from his ankles and used that movement to roll to the side in time. The fireball crashed into the wall behind him, hard enough to imbed itself in the stone blocks. Izuku hadn’t doubted Endeavors intent to kill him, but seeing the exact force that could have hit him in the head if he’d hesitated a moment longer was unsettling. 

Rei was still hiding under the bed, and he hoped she would stay there. _‘I have to draw the attacks away from that direction or else she will get caught in the crossfire!’_

He suddenly felt the pain that came with a broken finger. It was clear he hadn’t controlled that wind attack properly, and the recoil left him without a right middle finger. His index was still out of commotion too, but he could still move it. If it came to that, he could break it further. 

Endeavor looked at him as if Izuku were a mosquito he’d failed to swat properly. He readied fireballs in both hands and but before he could throw them, Izuku shot another blast of air at his left wrist, freeing his hands of slime entirely. 

He had five, maybe six, shots left. He ripped the ooze off his face, but didn’t have time to say anything as he found himself dodging another fireball, and yet another not far behind. On the first dodge he rolled out of the way in time, but the second one caught him in the ankle, and he felt it twist in anguish. 

He hit the floor hard, but scrambled to get back up and keep moving. The room wasn’t very big, so there wasn’t much space to dodge. Then there was the part of the room he couldn’t go to because Rei was hiding there. She stood by her word, and didn’t transform just yet. Izuku knew he could handle this a little longer. If she revealed herself now they would both have to dodge the attacks in this enclosed space. 

_‘This space is too tight, but if I can draw Endeavor further into the room I might be able to run out the door and lead him to a more open area. With that we could both attack without risking hitting each other, and there would be space to dodge._

He backed up into the room until he was against the wall. It gave him more time to react, and just maybe Endeavor would take the bait and come closer. The man took one step forward, but that was it. He knew what he was doing evidently. 

_‘If he won’t move I will have to move him myself.’_ He thought about Iida’s speed magic, and tried to picture his own legs recreating that. He imagined the appendages full of energy, pushing himself further and faster than he thought possible. He covered his mouth with his hand, to conceal his words from Endeavor. Then, he whispered to his legs. 

“You’re about to move me faster than you’ve ever taken me in my life.”

Endeavor saw this, and got defensive. He didn’t know what Izuku was doing, and assumed it would be a head on attack. He adjusted his footing to supposed him from behind and keep himself from being moved that direction, but he did it anticipate how much that would aid Izuku’s next move. 

Izuku prepped his body like he was going for a lunge to the right, but instead he activated the speed he had stored in his legs and used it to lunge left instead. He ran at the wall and quickly pushed off it, hurling his body toward the door and behind Endeavor. There wasn’t enough space to get through, but Izuku had predicted this. Endeavor noticed how he had moved and turned to counter it, but he was too late. Izuku pulled his hand around and with his ring finger he let out another powerful blast, knocking the man forward and forcing him to take a knee. 

Izuku landed hard on his injured ankle, but it didn’t let that slow him down. He rushed out the door and down the hallway. He heard Endeavor yell in frustration, and let out a burst of flames from his body. He didn’t dare look back. He kept running. 

He tried to retrace his steps from earlier, knowing he wouldn’t make it all the way there. He ran through the hallway, then the library, and finally through the dining room. He was about to step down the stairs, when he felt something forceful hit his back. He could feel the heat singing him, and the impact threw him against the banister, to which he clung desperately to keep from falling down the stairs. He looked back to see Endeavor flying towards him at high speed. 

“That was some stunt you pulled, boy, but don’t think you’ll get a hit like that again,” he said as he stood over Izuku and picked him up by the shirt collar. “You have strong magic, but how you weild it is weak, and you’re unable to do anything else without hurting yourself. Just how long did you think you could last in this fight? Did you think you could make it to the door? Where would you go after that? Face it, Izuku, There was only one way this battle would end.” 

Izuku tried to pry himself free from the grip, but with so many broken fingers and the hit he took to the back it was difficult, and even without the injuries Endeavor was stronger than himself. _‘This isn’t the end, I just have to think my way through this,’_ he told himself, but for all his ingenuity and quick thinking he couldn’t think of a plan and Endeavor was dangerously close. 

He looked over Endeavor’s shoulder and saw the door was just down the corridor. Maybe if that fireball had missed he could have made it all the way there, or maybe if he’d payed more attention to the man behind him he could have dodged the attack. At least he’d managed to distract from Rei’s presence, and she hadn’t been hurt. He felt tears form in the corners of his eyes at the thought. _‘At least I protected her, and at least I tried to save Shouto,’_ he assured himself. 

As he looked over at the door forlornly. He saw movement, but it was all blurred through his tears. But … there was a flash of red and white … could it be? He blinked back the tears to see better. Shouto was running towards him, his face a portrait of pure rage. His right hand froze over and his left side caught fire. 

“You’re right, Endeavor,” Izuku admitted through his tears. He had to distract from Shouto’s arrival. “I don’t know how to control my power. I’m reckless and untrained, but I had to try and save Shouto no matter what. It’s what you do for people you care about. Everything you do is for their sake, not just your own, but you wouldn’t understand would you?” 

“You foolish boy. You’ve destroyed yourself trying in vain to save him. This isn’t strength, your care for my Shouto is so easily exploited, and his care for you is nothing but weakness. He doesn’t even have a heart, yet he still lets his emotions take control. Once I control him, he won’t have that problem anymore, but first I’ll destroy the main source of those weak feelings. It’s time I put an end to you once and for all,” Endeavor said with disdain. 

Suddenly, a wave of ice covered the stairs and traveled up Endeavor’s body. It froze up his legs, and reached the hand that gripped Izuku. As it was encased in ice, it became weaker and the man was forced to release Izuku, who fell to the ground. Just as he was about to land Shouto created a slide of ice that took him safely to the bottom of the stairs and next to where his boyfriend stood. Shouto stepped in front of him defensively. 

“As if I’d let that happen,” Shouto yelled. 

“Shouto,” Izuku said in amazement. “You’re okay!” 

Izuku looked up at Shouto, who in turn looked down at him. The wizard softened his expression a little, as if to reassure Izuku that everything would be fine. Shouto was fine, not a scratch on him. Izuku saw Rei, still in her dog form, arrive at the top of the stairs. She was fine too. _‘It looks like I’m the only one who was hurt,’_ he noted thankfully. 

As Izuku looked up at his boyfriend he could tell it was true. Whatever challenges Endeavor would present, they were together now. When Shouto had fought his father alone he failed, and when Izuku tried to hold him off he’d had the same result, but they weren’t alone this time. Izuku knew if they worked together, they could manage even this. _‘I trust you, Shouto. I know that with you here, I’m going to be just fine.’_


	26. I Won't Ever Leave You!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouto arrives at his father's mansion and sees Endeavor threatening Izuku. He's not about to stand by and let that happen! Will this be Shouto's final battle with his father? Will he be able to save the man he loves?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long! I wrote it Saturday or Frida, then spent the rest of the week editing,but I still didn't like it and I didn't have a real solid time block I was just editing a few paragraphs between classes. 
> 
> So last night when I got home I stayed up writing 80% of this and then I woke up early this morning at wrote the rest, then edited it. I think this is a lot better than my original chapter, so yay! I hope you all enjoy this, but uhhh there is a lot of angst and hurt/comfort but there is comfort so don't worry! 
> 
> As bad as it gets, there is always hope! Everything will be alright in the end!

Shouto saw his father holding Izuku by the shirt and standing on the steps. Time seemed to stop as he took in the scene. Izuku was fighting back, but weakly. He looked like he was in a great amount of pain, and at least three of his fingers were broken. His eyes were full of tears, and he looked terrified. _‘Izuku …’_

Shouto felt like he couldn’t breath. He felt his legs move before he could tell them what to do. He realized he didn’t have any idea how to save his boyfriend, but he couldn’t stand by and do nothing. He ran down the hallway, tears forming in his eyes. Was it from the air that stung them or from his emotions? He blinked them away. His father’s teachings rang through his head. _‘Emotions are a weakness, Shouto.’_

He had to think, not feel. Now wasn’t the time for that. He saw Izuku talking, and it seemed to keep Endeavor distracted … but not for long. _‘I’m almost in range, hold on,’_ he pleaded. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, unable to care about how his muscles burned or how out of breath he was getting. He had to keep moving, because Izuku wouldn’t hold his father’s attention for long. 

Just as Shouto got within range, he heard his father speaking. 

“It’s time I put an end to you,” he said maliciously, “Once and for all.”

In that moment, Shouto let go of the ice power he didn’t realize he’d been holding back. The floor frosted over instantly, traveling at alarming speeds up the staircase and crawling up Endeavor’s legs. It raced up his body, frost claiming the man’s legs, then his torso, and his arms. Shouto stopped it before it got to his hands. He couldn’t risk freezing Izuku as well. He hadn’t meant to release that much ice, but his magic was reacting to his feelings not what he wanted to do. 

He quickly though the rest of the plan through. He set up an icy ramp underneath where Izuku was about to fall from his father’s grasp, and directed it to his location. His boyfriend landed, and slid down the stairs and away from the wizard who had hurt him so badly. _‘I won’t let him hurt you any more, Izuku. I’m here now, I promise._

He put his own body between his boyfriend and his father and stood firm. _‘Hurt Izuku? Not while I’m here. No matter what, I won’t budge. Izuku, he won’t lay a finger on you as long as I’m still breathing.’_

Endeavor looked shocked at the turn of events, and turned his head to glare at Shouto. He looked angrier than Shouto had ever seen him before, and that was saying a lot. He was terrified by the glance, but he couldn’t show it on his face. He had to be brave for himself, and for Izuku. 

“As if I’d let that happen,” Shouto shouted at his father. 

He breathed out a frosty breath. _‘I may have ben hasty in my ice usage. I’d better regulate my body temperature if I want to use ice again. For now, I should focus on fire anyways. Father will only melt any ice I throw at him. Although, I have Izuku to protect, so maybe I should throw up a wall of ice to block attacks? No, when it shatters eventually the ice might hit him, it’s too risky.’_

“Shouto!”The wizard was pulled from his thoughts by the voice of his boyfriend. “You’re okay!” 

He looked back at Izuku, and smiled. The look he received back was pure adoration and love. Izuku’s eyes were puffy from tears and he was bruised and broken, but he still found it in himself to look up at Shouto with soft eyes. They were loving and hopeful and relieved. _‘Relief … I wish I could have come sooner. You don’t deserve the pain you’re in. I should have been here to protect you.’_

“I’m sorry it took me so long to find you,” he whispered to him. 

“No! You have nothing to be sorry for, Shouto! I’m just so glad you’re here,” he sobbed. 

“How badly are you injured?” 

“I … it’s hard to walk with my leg like this,” he admitted. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” he said, turning back to his father. 

The man melted the ice off himself and gathered handfuls of fireballs that he launched at the couple. They flew at incredible speeds, and but Shouto was faster. He drew up spikes of ice to capture the projectiles midair, and stop them in their paths. Endeavor got ready for another volley, but Shouto started to throw fireballs of his own first. They flew at the evil wizard as fast as bullets. Endeavor blocked some of them, but Shouto was relentless. He kept up the fire, and after five or so blocks, one his Endeavor in the chest. 

He felt a sort of satisfaction watching his father get hurt. The way the man winced in pain brought a smile to Shouto’s lips. It was payback for all the pain his father had caused him, and that he’d caused his mother and now Izuku as well. _‘You’re going to regret ever trying to hurt the man I love,’_ he thought. _‘I’ll make you wish you’d never raised me.’_

The assault continued. In one hand Shouto kept a steady stream of fireballs, and in his other he brought up a curtain of ice around his father. It prevented him from backing up the stairs and running away. It wasn’t smooth the way his usual ice structures were. This one was lined with spikes. The balls of flame that Shouto threw found their mark, and Endeavor was on the defensive. He couldn't get an attack in since he was trying not to fall victim to his son’s fireballs. 

“Shouto,” said a quiet voice over his shoulder. Izuku stepped to his side, and looked him in the eye pleadingly. _‘Is he going to tell me I’m going too far? Does he not understand, I have to kill him?’_ Shouto looked at his boyfriend, hoping he wouldn’t hear a plea to stop. “You don’t have to do this by yourself, I’m here with you!” 

It wasn’t what Shouto expected to hear. It surprised him.

“But you’re hurt,” Shouto said, throwing a sharp icicle at his father. It hit the man in the arm, drawing blood but not doing much to weaken him. “Don’t push yourself, you’ll only worsen the injuries you have.” 

“‘Don’t push yourself?’ You’re one to talk! Shouto, you’re shaking,” he pointed out. 

Shouto gasped. He was in fact shaking, and hadn’t even noticed. He hadn’t realized the toll that his attacks were taking on him. Frost was forming along his face, while his left side burned. He had been so focused on giving power to each magic, he hadn’t been paying attention to his body. With the reminder, he tried to warm his whole self, and melt the frost.

“Thank you for the reminder, but I can’t stop.”

“I’m not asking you to stop! I’m asking you not to take this burden on yourself. Let me help you,” he pleaded. “You don’t have to do this alone. I’ve told you before, and I’ll keep telling it to you no matter how many times it takes! I’m here for you, Shouto!” 

_‘He’d here for me…_ For a split second, the words threw Shouto off and his fireball missed, giving Endeavor a second that he could use to melt the ice behind him, and throw a fireball of his own. It was headed right for Izuku, and Shouto instinctively stepped in front of his boyfriend and brought up a wall of ice to protect him. 

The ice protected them, and saved Izuku, but it also blocked their vision. _‘Damn it! I wasn’t thinking. I was too busy worrying about Izuku, and now I’ve lost line of sight on my father.’_ He was sure Endeavor had planned for that to happen. He knew that trying to hurt Izuku would make him act more recklessly. _‘I’ve been to transparent. Endeavor has me figured out.’_

“You’re right, Izuku. I won’t be able to fight him on my own. He knows how to predict my moves, and he’s going to try and hurt you no matter what. If you have a plan, I’m listening.” 

“Well, for now since we don’t know where he went, we should stand back to back, in case he tries to materialize between us or in our blind spots.” 

“Understood,” he said, as he pressed his own back against his boyfriend’s. The touch was nice, but he had no time to appreciate it, as he was looking all around for his father. He had to show himself any moment now. Suddenly, Shouto saw something moving above them. He looked up just as Endeavor dropped down at them, a fist full of fire readied. 

“Lookout!” 

He pushed Izuku out of the way just in time, but the fist hit him instead. He felt it make contact with his stomach, and send him flying back about five feet. He landed on the ground and he realized couldn’t breath. The impact had knocked the air from his lungs. He looked back to see Izuku had landed on the floor as well, but seemed no worse than he’d been before. 

Endeavor walked over to Shouto, who was struggling to get up. The young wizard still couldn’t breathe, and he clutched at his chest as he backed away from his father. He looked over at Izuku, who looked just as scared as him. Then, something seemed to dawn on Izuku. He leaned forwards. 

“Breath, Shouto,” he yelled. 

The wizard felt air return to his lungs, and he smiled thankfully in the direction of his boyfriend. Endeavor also looked at Izuku, but disdainfully. He seemed aware of how easily Izuku could offer Shouto assistance, and looked intent to change that. He readied a fireball in his hand, but Shouto responded by launching an ice shard into Endeavor’s wrist. It hit, and the fireball disappeared as the evil wizard clutched at his arm. 

He didn’t spend much time mourning the wound, as his other hand whipped around and threw another fireball at Shouto. There wasn’t enough time to dodge it, and Shouto felt it hit him in the chest. The impact made him stumble backwards into the ice wall, and he nearly fell. 

Endeavor reached out to grab Shouto in his prone state, but Izuku stopped him by grabbing his hand. It wasn’t a smart move, because now he was touching a man who could light himself on fire. The wizard seethed, but instead of summoning flames, he drew his other arm and punched Izuku in the jaw, knocking him off and to the floor again. 

“No! Izuku!” 

Shouto had failed, and Izuku had been hurt again. He pushed off the ice wall and went to punch his father. He wasn’t as strong as him, but he did have something that Endeavor didn’t. He formed frost over his right hand, making his knuckles sharp and jagged. They collided with his face, and left a nasty wound. While he did that, he’d summoned a fireball in his other hand, which he launched. The impact knocked Endeavor backwards, and Shouto gave him no time to recover. His father nearly slipped on the frost covered ground.

_‘I’m creating ice without meaning to. It’s making it harder for him to move, at least,’_ he observed. There was a sheet of ice maybe two inches thick on the floor beneath them. Shouto was used to moving on this type of surface, so it didn’t bother him at all. Meanwhile, Endeavor had to regain his traction. 

As soon as he had, Endeavor threw another flaming punch at Shouto. The young wizard dodged it, and his father’s fist collided with the ice wall instead. It shattered upon impact. _‘I know he’s mad, but that sort of force seems excessive. He is trying to keep me alive still, isn’t he?’_ It was clear that Endeavor intended to take him alive, but not alive and well. He wasn’t afraid to shatter bones … or worse. He wouldn’t hesitate to harm his son as long as it didn’t impede whatever his master plan was. 

Endeavor didn’t waste any time with his missed attack. Soon he was turning around and he lunged towards Shouto, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him closer. His father readied fire in his hand, and thrust it towards him. Shouto tried to pull away, but he was being gripped too tight, and couldn’t move. He turned his face away, but before he felt the fire, there was something else. 

At first it was a light breeze, and he looked for the source only to see Izuku. His fist was readied, despite more than half of the fingers on it being broken. He lunged at Endeavor, and thrust the hand forwards as he shouted. 

“You get away from him!” 

As he punched the air, a force of wind surged at Endeavor, putting out the fire in his hand and loosening his grip on Shouto. The young wizard wriggled free, and stepped backwards defensively. What was that power Izuku had just used? 

He looked over to Izuku, wondering how he’d cast that. Shouto had never seen a power like that … no, there was something so familiar about it, but he couldn’t recall where he’d seen it before. None of that mattered to him as he saw Izuku, whose face was contorted in anguish. His whole arm was broken now. Whatever he’d cast, he didn’t know how to control it yet. 

“Izuku!” He rushed over to him, as Izuku started to tip to the side. He caught him, and held his shoulders steady. “Are you alright? What was that?” 

“I … don’t know how I did that. I can’t regulate my magic still, I think my arm is busted.” 

“Shhh, it’s okay, just don’t do that again. We can win without you hurting yourself,” he assured him. 

He believed his words, until he felt something hot hit the back of his leg, causing a knee jerking reaction and forcing him to kneel. Before he could react, something lunged out of nowhere and grappled Izuku tackling him to the floor. It was a sort of black ooze, and it wrapped its way around his wrists, ankles, and lower face. Izuku fell next to him, and was unable to break his restraints. _‘What is that? Where did it come from?’_

Shouto tried to get up, but before he could, he felt a hand around his throat. Endeavor’s grip on him tightened, and he lifted him up off the ground by his neck. _‘No, this can’t be happening!’_

He clawed at his father’s hand with his own fingers, but it did nothing. He tried to use his icy touch, but in anticipation Endeavor raised his own body temperature and shrouded himself in flames. They burned at Shouto’s hand, and the hot touch against his neck hurt. He wanted to cry out in pain, but air was harder and harder to get. He gasped, hoping to catch some shallow breaths, but to no avail. 

“Shouto, how long did you honestly think you could run from me? Did you think this would end any other way? You’ve accomplished nothing, all you did was drag this boy into your mess. He’s proven to be even more of a nuisance than you, and I think it’s time we did something about that, don’t you agree?” 

_‘What is he planning? I can’t think like this.’_ He felt weak, and his hands dropped to his side, unable to claw at Endeavor’s grasp any longer. Without any reason to keep the flames up, the tendrils of orange fire retreated, leaving only Shouto and his father, no powers being used between them. 

He could hear Izuku’s muffled protests to his side, but he couldn’t see what was happening. His vision was getting darker. It was like the visual world faded, all he could sense was a hand on his throat and the pleas that his boyfriend was trying to express. _‘I’m sorry, Izuku. I can’t seem to fight him anymore, and I can’t tell what’s going on.’_

“So, here’s what’s going to happen, boy. You are going to kill him for me. Once Izuku is dead, we can get back to our real work,” his father told him. His grip on Shouto’s neck loosened, and he was able to gather just enough air to breathe. Shouto felt a new urge to fight, not for himself but for the sake of the man he loved.

“Like … I’d … hurt … him,” he groaned out with what little air he could manage. 

“You don’t have a say in this matter,” his father told him. 

_‘But .... the curse isn’t completed yet? There’s still one part of it that hasn’t been completed, so how does he expect to control me? … Then again, but coming here I’m already doing half of what the curse wanted me to do,’_ he thought. The last part of the curse was, ‘Find what wind serves to advance an honest mind.’ _‘What if that wind that Izuku made fulfilled that? No, I would have felt it take. Maybe it will happen again? But what about ‘advancing an honest mind?’’_

“Right now,” Endeavor continued. “You’re probably thinking about the curse, am I wrong boy? You can feel it will be complete soon, can’t you? Dabi has done well to help me provoke some things early, like the mandrake he sent into your house months ago. Once you fulfil the last part, you’ll return to me and we’ll exact my vengeance on the crown and the rest of this pitiful nation. In the meantime, I’ll have to control you the old fashioned way. It won’t be as permanent, but you won’t be able to resist my commands,” he assured him. 

A glowing light emitted from Endeavor’s hand. It glowed brighter and started to wrap around Shouto’s form. It swirled around his body, and he felt something nagging at the back of his mind. There was something telling him ‘give in,’ but he wouldn’t listen to it. It was subtle at first, like a whisper, but soon it was practically screaming. _‘No! I won’t let him control me! I … I can’t hurt Izuku!’_

He felt tears rolling down his cheeks as he thought about Izuku, who was lying on the ground helpless beside him. _‘If I give in, he’s going to die, I won’t allow it. I promised I wouldn’t let Endeavor hurt you, Izuku, how could I hurt you myself? I … have to … fight,’_ he thought. It was getting harder and harder to resist. The light nearly shrouded his body entirely. Between that and how lightheaded he felt from his father’s grip on his neck, he couldn’t sense the world around him.

The voice in his head was relentless, and it started to hurt. The more he resisted, the sharper the pain was. He couldn’t help but let out a sob, from both his physical and emotional suffering. _‘It hurts, but I can’t give in!’_ He pictured Izuku. Beautiful, kind, caring, Izuku. _‘I won’t hurt him!’_ he thought as he cried. He felt his grip on his body slipping away. The couldn’t control his fingers, or his legs, and he knew he couldn’t keep his hold on the rest for long. 

“You fool,” his father scolded. “You can’t hold on much longer, and resisting a spell like this will only kill you slowly. You can feel it, that excruciating pain? It’s hopeless. Just give in and this will be painless … for you.” 

How could he let that happen? Shouto knew he would rather let this spell slowly kill him than be a prisoner in his own body as he watched it hurting the man he loved. 

“Izuku …,” he barely whispered. “He showed me … it’s ... never … hopeless!” 

He thought of all the times that he’d panicked, or al the times he felt powerless and afraid. When he felt that bad, Izuku always found him and made him feel alright again. _‘He’s shown me that there is always hope, and no situation is too bad I can’t come back from it. He believes in me. I can’t let him down! I just have to hold on-’_

Suddenly, there was a noise like a sword slicing through skin, and then a gasp. Shouto felt the spell losing its grip on him, and his control over his body returned slowly. The light faded away completely, and soon the young wizard could see exactly what was going on. 

His father was still holding onto him, but sticking out of the man’s chest was a massive icicle. It was dangerously sharp, and stuck through his body right where his heart should have been … no … it was where Endeavor’s lung was. The color drained from the man’s face, and his aqua colored eyes that usually terrified Shouto were themselves full of fear. He looked down, wide eyed and horrified, at the object that he had been impaled with. 

“But,” he whispered, “How?” 

Shouto was wondering that as well. He hadn’t done anything, he was just barely holding onto his own body and consciousness. He couldn’t have shot ice in that state, and he couldn’t have done it from behind his father while he was in front of him. So what had caused the ice? 

Then he heard a voice. It was comforting and soft, but full of wrath and anger. 

“You are not going to hurt my son ever again!” 

_‘Mother?’_

Endeavor’s hand on Shouto’s neck weakened, and the young wizard felt himself fall to the floor, barely bracing himself for the impact. As he collapsed to the ground, so did his father. 

Shouto lay there coughing and gasping for any air he could get. His throat felt sore and his body felt fatigued. He couldn’t quite force himself to stand up yet. Instead he continued laying on the floor and looked over to his father, who was also gasping for breath. The icicle had punctured his lung. If Endeavor had a heart in his chest still, it would have gotten that as well. Rei’s aim was tactical and deadly. Endeavor looked at his son pleadingly, as if he would help him after everything the evil wizard had done to him. 

“Shouto, we could have been great. You could have been the most powerful wizard … why?” 

“I don’t need your help to be powerful,” he told his father. “All you ever did was hurt me, and keep me from the people I loved. Stop pretending you did this for me! All the pain you’ve caused me was for yourself! You didn’t want a son, you wanted someone to control, someone to do your work for you! Well, you can’t control me anymore!” 

“But-” 

“No, shut up! You don’t get to say another word,” he said as he punched Endeavor in the face. It wasn’t like the man was in any condition to fight back, but after years of pain and abuse, Shouto had a lot of frustrations to take out. It felt good to cause pain for the man who had made the first twelve years of his life a living hell. He didn’t care how petty or wrong it might have seemed to others, it was what he needed. 

He punched him again, and again, and when he went to hit him another time, he realized Endeavor had stopped moving completely. The dead wizard lay there in a pool of his own blood, that was slowly expanding. Shouto backed away. He had to admit, he was still in shock from the whole day. He sat on the floor, and curled his legs up to his chest, and sobbed. 

“Shouto,” he heard a whisper from behind him, and he turned around to meet Izuku. It seemed the black ooze that had imprisoned him had faded when Endeavor died, and now he was free from their grasp. 

Shouto didn’t hesitate to reach out and pull Izuku close to him. He pressed their bodies as close together as they could get, but it wasn’t enough. His arms clung to Izuku, like he was holding on for dear life. He buried his face in Izuku’s neck, and didn’t bother to hide the tears that streamed his face. Izuku held him just as tight, and he brought up a hand to pet Shouto’s hair gently as they held each other. He too was sobbing. 

“I’m so sorry, Izuku,” he whispered into his boyfriend’s neck. 

“No, don’t be! You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, Shouto. You came to save me! I’ve never been so glad to see someone in my life as I was when I saw you running down the hall. If you hadn’t stepped in, I would be dead right now.” 

“I would never let that happen,” Shouto assured him. 

“I know,” Izuku whispered. “Just … rest right now. You don’t have anything to feel bad for, you’ve done nothing wrong. Shouto, I’m just so glad to have you back, I can’t believe you’re alright!” 

Izuku gripped him even tighter with his non broken arm, and Shouto was careful to avoid touching the one that was injured. His own body was cold from all the ice, and it felt nice to have his warm boyfriend pressed against him. His touch wasn’t warm in only temperature, everything about Izuku was a comfort. Everywhere their bodies met, Shouto could feel a sense of calm washing over him. He was still shaking, and he couldn’t stop crying, but Izuku was here and he was telling him it was alright. 

Izuku gently pressed a kiss to the side of Shouto’s face and whispered gentle calming words. Shouto couldn’t make sense of them, as it seemed his boyfriend was back to muttering again. He just focused on the sound of Izuku’s voice, and leaned into the touches he was gifted. It felt so good to finally be free of his father’s threats, and to know that he would never hurt Izuku again. Shouto didn’t have to live in fear of the wizard finding him anymore, he was free. 

_‘I don’t have to be afraid of him anymore,’_ he reminded himself. 

He would have to get up and get back to reality in a moment. He would have to burn his father’s body to ensure he never returned, and he would have to figure out what had become of the man’s fire demon. They would have to go home and take care of their injuries, and then they would see if they were any closer to breaking their curses now that Endeavor was dead. 

But right then and there, Shouto couldn’t find it in himself to worry about all of that. He was flooded with relief, and joy, and love. He was entangled in the man he loved more than anyone, and he knew that Izuku loved him back. _‘He’s safe now, and so am I. It’s going to be okay,’_ he reminded himself. He felt Izuku’s hand in his hair and his warm breath against his neck. He felt the way the man’s heart beat so fast as it was pressed against his own empty chest. He wouldn’t trade that company for anything. _‘Everything is going to be just fine.’_


	27. The Wind Beneath Your Wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouto and Izuku gather themselves to head back to the castle, since their fight with Endeavor is over ... but is the real battle about to begin?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Just wanted to say thank you again to all the people who have left nice comments on this work so far! I read every single one and it makes me really happy to see them, so thank you! 
> 
> Also, this work is sort of going to end soon? Maybe not like immediately, but it's getting there. Next chapter won't be the last, I promise that, and the one after probably won't either .. but maybe the one after that? I think after this I might make like short spin offs because I do like the premise of this story. I don't know, I'm still thinking about it. I also have some other AUs I'm considering after this (canon universe? i don't know her) but for now, I'll just focus on getting this work completed (and on school, because I'm a good honor roll student)!

Izuku’s entire body was in pain, but he couldn’t focus on that right now. He’d just watched Shouto fighting for both of their lives, and they had just killed Endeavor. He needed to be there for his boyfriend, his injuries could be treated later. Right then and there, he could only think about the man he was holding in his arms … well, arm. Izuku ran his fingers through Shouto’s soft hair, and whispered loving phrases into his ears. 

“It’s fine, you’re okay,” he reminded him. “You did great. You saved me, Shouto. You came just in time, and you saved my life. You’re amazing, and so selfless and wonderful. I think you’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met, and I’m so glad to have you in my life. I’m so lucky to have someone like you, and I’m so glad you’re safe.” 

Shouto didn’t seem to be listening to what he said, but that was fine. He looked like he was in shock, and Izuku didn’t want to push him He also avoided saying anything like “I love you.” As much as he wanted to tell Shouto that he loved him, the wizard had never said the words back and it was clearly a source of anxiety for him. _‘He knows I love him. I’ll show him with my actions, not by saying the words themselves.’_

“Thank you, Izuku,” he heard his boyfriend whisper softly. 

“Of course,” he replied. 

Izuku wished they could spend forever just holding each other. He wanted nothing more than to hold his boyfriends cold shivering body and tell him how amazing he was to him, and that he was deserving of more love than Izuku could give him in a whole lifetime. He could have sat there for hours playing with his hair and letting Shouto sob into the crook of his neck, but they had things to do. He wouldn’t force Shouto to move before he was ready, but once he was there was no time to spare. 

Shouto pulled back from their embrace, and while it was warmer without him pressed against his body, Izuku missed the feeling. Shouto took his injured arm into his hand gently, and examined it. 

“It’s too far gone for my healing to repair it, but I can take away the swelling and the pain,” Shouto said. “It will be broken still, so I’m going to need you to promise not to use it while it’s in this condition.” 

“I … I promise.”

With that, Shouto placed his fingertips along Izuku’s sprained ankle and massaged the tissue briefly. Next his hand found his boyfriend’s back, and traced up his spine to the area he’d been hit with the fireball. Once there, he held his hand over the area and tenderly rubbed circles. Despite being frozen before, the wizard’s fingers felt warm against his skin. It was a pleasant and welcome feeling. The hand then moved up to his bicep, and then ghosted them over Izuku’s whole arm, leaving a warm trail in its path. When the wizard finally reached his hand, he took it in both of his own palms, cradling it. He kissed the back of it, and then each he kissed Izuku’s knuckles. He couldn’t help but recall the way he’d kissed him so similarly the day they first met in Market Chipping. Shoutos eyes were closed as his soft lips graced Izuku’s scarred and calloused skin. When he opened them they were half-lidded and looked up to meet his gaze. _‘I … could get used to that look,’_ Izuku thought guiltily. Now was not the time for those thoughts.

He tried to push them away, but he found them brought up again as Shouto put a hand on the side of his neck, and brought his mouth to the other side. Soft lips pressed against the edge of his jaw, placing more gentle kisses as they went. He shivered at the contact combined with the look that his boyfriend had given him. It was a great feeling, and Izuku wanted to keep going, but he felt guilty getting kisses from his boyfriend at a time and a place like this. 

“Shouto I don’t think we should-“ 

“I know,” his boyfriend agreed. “I’m just healing the bruises on your jaw from when my father punched you. My magic can’t heal broken bones, so this is the best I can do for you.” 

Izuku suddenly felt like an idiot. _‘Of course … the bruises. Kisses are supposedly the most powerful way to apply a healing spell, so of course he would kiss me. It’s just like Recovery Girl’s healing techniques. It’s just a casual smooch, nothing more.’_ Still, he hadn’t been aware that his face had already started to bruise. Was it really that hard of a hit? 

“T-There were bruises?” He looked to Shouto, who nodded in confirmation. 

“They were just starting to form, but I healed them so you shouldn’t have any pain there unless you think he broke something. If it does start to hurt, tell me and I’ll do the same thing I did for your other injuries,” he said. “I didn’t miss any, did I?” 

“No, you were … thorough,” Izuku muttered.

“Alright then,” the wizard said. “I’ll be right back. You should remain seated, so you don’t hurt your ankle while you can’t feel it.”

_‘Where was he going?’_

He watched as Shouto stood up, and approached his mother, who was standing over the body of her former husband. He didn’t look sad, but she didn’t look happy either. She was simply neutral looking. Izuku suspected she too was in shock, and he was glad that her son was going over to comfort her. 

When Shouto placed a hand on her shoulder, she smiled gently at him, and wrapped her arms around him. She pulled him close, protectively and lovingly, but her touch was light as falling snow. Their hug was nothing like the ones that Izuku was used to, or like the one he and Shouto had just shared. His hugs were clingy and desperate, where this was careful and delicate. She held her son like he was made of tissue paper, and he did the same. 

They were having a conversation, but it was so quiet that Izuku couldn’t hear. They were both so soft spoken, and on top of that they were further away. Rei said something and Shouto’s eyes widened. He looked like he said ‘are you sure?’ Then they both looked over to Izuku, who was alarmed to be under so much attention. He blushed and turned away, but it was too late. They were approaching him. Before they got there, Shouto turned to his mother to speak. 

“Mother, we should get going. We’ll leave the seven league boots with you so you can get back now that your curse is lifted,” he said. Izuku was surprised to hear that. 

"Your curse is lifted?" 

"It is," she said with a slight nod. "I felt myself be released from it the moment I shot the icicle through his back. It's possible that I was freed because he died but ... I don't think it was. If his curses were broken by his death, then you would have been freed too, Izuku. Besides, I think it was me killing him rather than the fact he died. He seemed to be under the impression that I would be incapable of standing up to him. I certainly proved him wrong." 

As she ended her sentence, Shouto knelt down to be on the same level as Izuku. The wizard picked him up cautiously. He was evidently afraid of worsening any of his boyfriend’s injuries. 

“Izuku, I’m going to take you back to the castle, I’ll fly us there.” 

“Are you sure you’re alright to fly? You got hit with a couple fireballs, and you got punched pretty hard, not to mentions …” his eyes darted down to Shouto’s throat that was blossoming with pale purple bruises of its own. Izuku wished he could heal as well as his boyfriend, He wanted to kiss his skin and make it better. “With your injuries if you can’t carry me it’s fine, we can think of something else.” 

“There is nothing else, Izuku,” he said grimly. Why did he sound so serious? _‘What am I missing?’_ “I don’t believe that Dabi is dead yet.”

“What? But I thought if you died, it would kill Shinsou too. What’s different about Dabi and Endeavor’s contract?”

“I’m not sure. Dabi is a lot more powerful than Shinsou, for one. You may have noticed that he isn’t restrained to a hearth, and he can take on a human form. I don’t know how he does it, but Shinsou can’t do that. Shinsou is thousands of years old, but he’s a juvenile compared to Dabi. He’s older, wiser, and has looser morals on top of that. I don’t know how he does the things he can do, but he’s had a lot more time to figure it all out. Shinsou and I have been trying to gather as much information as we can in the six years since we met.” 

“If he’d older than Shinsou, does that mean that Dabi had contracts with other wizards before Endeavor?” 

“Hmm, maybe. It would make sense. He didn’t come to protect Endeavor while we were fighting him, so maybe he was not all that attached to my late father. It’s possible he only made the contract to gain my father’s heart, and then encouraged him to be more violent and cruel hoping it would kill him sooner, that way Dabi could have the heart without the contract.” 

“Would that work?” 

“It’s possible,” the wizard said. “I don’t think we’ll find out by standing around. We need to get back to the castle as soon as possible, I suspect that’s the next place that Dabi will strike.”

“But how do you know that?” 

“Because,” the wizard explained, “Where else will he find his next heart to steal?” 

“No ... you don’t mean …” 

“I do,” said Shouto, as he carried him through the mansion hallways. 

_‘If Dabi were to take Shouto’s heart from the fireplace, what would happen? He would probably kill Shinsou, but would Shouto be able to survive? What if Dabi doesn’t want him to survive ..’_ Izuku theorized the possible motives and outcomes, trying to think about what the demon’s master plan was. Did he too want to use Shouto’s royal influence for a power gain? Or maybe he truly just wanted to steal hearts? It was ironic, he realized, that Shouto was the one having his heart stolen after all the rumors about him stealing the hearts of people everywhere. 

As he thought it all over, Shouto carried him down the hall and out the front door of the mansion, to the marble staircase at the very entrance. He paused as they left the building, and there seemed to be something on his mind that kept him from taking another step. 

“Is something the matter, Shouto?” He looked at his boyfriend, who seemed puzzled. 

“I was just thinking about the fastest way to get there. I know of a couple different flight spells, but I don’t think the regular one will do, it’s not fast enough. If Dabi has been in the castle this whole time, we need to get there as soon as possible,” he explained. 

“There’s more than one spell that allows you to fly?” 

Izuku wasn’t following until he saw something moving on Shouto’s back, underneath his white shirt. The things pushed against the fabric until they ripped holes in the shirt and broke thought. Now that they were visible, Izuku could see that they were wings. One was a pale white-grey and speckled pattern, like a snowy owl, while the other was a brownish orange, like one would see on a red tailed hawk. Despite their different colors, they were both the same shape. As they grew to full size, and then extended themselves completely, Izuku tried to calculate their length. They had to be fifteen feet long, since they seemed just shorter than three of him laying down in a row. They were beautiful and magnificent, and absolutely massive. Izuku looked up at Shouto and he could see little red and white feathers had formed along his cheeks and neck, but they were so subtle that he wouldn’t have seen them if Izuku wasn’t right next to the wizards face. 

_‘He looks beautiful like this, but have I never heard about him in this form before? Even if he’d done it before we met, surely there would have been rumors about him like this. Does he not like this form? Maybe it’s just because it rips his shirts, but I don’t think so,’_ he thought.

Shouto prepped his legs for a running position, and then he took off, racing towards the steps at a steady pace. When he was about to reach the first step, he launched himself into the air and a gust of wind gathered. Shouto glided along it with ease. His wings carried them up above the landscapes that surrounded them, and Izuku realized just how fast they were truly going.

The ground below was all a blur to Izuku, and he found himself feeling sick as he watched anything besides himself or the man who was holding him. He wouldn’t complain. If Shouto was all he could look at, it was the opposite of a problem. He didn’t mind gazing at the wizard’s elegant features and his beautiful eyes and kind smile. As Izuku observed his boyfriend he could tell there was something he wanted to say, but he couldn’t quite find it in him to get the words out. _‘What is he trying to tell me?’_

“Izuku,” he said softly. It was hard to hear his words over the wind rushing past his ears. “Thank you for trying to save me. Uraraka told me that Dabi pretended he had kidnapped me, and so I’m assuming that’s why you went to the castle, right?” 

“Yes,” Izuku confirmed. His tone was sad as he remembered the Shouto duplicate he had met. He remembered the sweet words it told him, and the way it pretended to love him, then he way it had melted into a disgusting black ooze. _‘He doesn’t need to know that.’_

“He used a duplicate didn’t he?” 

“Yes but-“ _‘Did he see it? How does he know?’_

“I’m sorry you had to see that. When I was looking for you, my father tricked me with one as well. I watched him hurt you and I ... wasn’t thinking clearly … I was so terrified of losing you, Izuku.” 

His voice was strained, as if he might start crying if he said another word. Izuku looked at his face. The wizard wasn’t making eye contact, mostly because he had to focus on where they were going but also it was clear there were tears forming in his eyes. _‘Shouto…’_

“Please,” Izuku whispered as he brought his non broken hand up to wipe away a tear that rolled down his boyfriend's cheek. “You don’t have to cry, I’m fine now, and it’s all thanks to you and Rei. You both saved me, Shouto.”

Shouto smiled weakly, like he was trying to look happy but he couldn’t be bothered to hide the sadness in his eyes and his smile faltered. He looked away from the world around them to look into Izuku’s emerald green eyes. 

“I know you’re alive now, but in that moment, I thought I might never get to see you again. I suddenly regretted everything. All those times that I wanted to kiss you and didn’t, or words I couldn’t find it in my heart to tell you. I thought that if I lost you then … I would never get to tell you …” 

“Shouto …” Izuku’s heart was beating faster than he’d ever felt it. He was anxious and emotional and curious. He knew Shouto cared about him, but hearing him say it all made his heart feel warm and he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around Shouto and pretend their other problems weren’t a thing. He wished that life was simpler, and that they could just cuddle without him having to worry about demons stealing his boyfriends organs. But there was more that Shouto had to say, he had something to tell Izuku…

“I wouldn’t have told you, that I love you Izuku.” As he said the words, the wizard couldn’t help but smile in relief and joy as he confessed to his boyfriend. He still had tearful eyes, but they were different this time. These were tears of happiness. “I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. I know I can be reclusive and distant and I’m … not good at handling emotional things. In all honesty I don’t think I’m worthy of the love of someone like you ... but you think I am, and that’s enough. If you believe in me, then I’ll try and be the kind of person who is worthy of your adoration.” 

“Shouto, you already are worthy,” he assured him. How could he not see it? “You don’t have to make anything up to me, or try and be more deserving. I fell in love with you not for who you might be later, but for the person you are now and have been since that first time you saved me. I love you the way you are, and everything about you.” 

With the hand that cupped Shouto’s face, Izuku pulled him closer and pressed a gentle kiss to the wizard’s lips. He would have liked to kiss him more, but he knew Shouto had to focus on the path back home, and on top of that something suddenly dawned on Izuku. _‘Shouto is being honest with me, and we’re being propelled by the wind … the last part of the spell …. Oh no!’_

“Wait, Shouto! The last part of the spell!” 

“It’s alright, Izuku.” he said quietly. “I realized it too.”

“You mean … did you know this would happen?” 

“I didn’t realize when I first sprouted the wings, but I realized as we were taking off. I could feel that the curse would be completed soon, and so could my father. The curse was destined to be completed, and I couldn’t wait another minute to tell you how I felt. I’ve been wanting to tell you for some time, and I don’t know why I didn’t just say it sooner. I was … afraid.” 

“What were you afraid of?” 

“Everything,” he admitted. “I’ve been in relationships before you, but I never had feelings like this. Even when I tried my best to love people, I couldn’t do it. I would think I’d found love, but it was just infatuation and it would fade like embers in a dying fire. The people that I couldn’t love always faulted me for it. When I broke things off they were all heartbroken or angry, and it was all my fault. I thought I was incapable of love … and then you came around. Things have always been different with you, Izuku. I knew I couldn’t let things go the same way with us, so I wanted to make sure I truly loved you before I said anything.”

“So those times that you started to say ‘I love you’ and stopped …” 

“It wasn’t that I didn’t love you, I was just afraid the feelings wouldn’t last and I would just break your heart like I’d done with so many before you. But now that I have you back, I had to tell you before I risked losing you again.” 

“Losing me again? Endeavor is gone, he can’t take me again. Shouto, it will be fine.” 

“I was less afraid of you leaving, and more of myself having to leave you. Izuku, I don’t know how this last battle with Dabi will go. The spell was destined to be completed before we got home, and I’m sure he knew that. If he does take my heart … if he manages to control me with it … I just needed you to know that I do and always will love you dearly.” 

“Shouto, I won’t let that happen! I promised I wouldn’t let Endeavor take you, and I won’t let this happen either. We can defeat Dabi just like we did with your father. I’ll keep you safe just like you would do for me.” 

“Thank you,” he whispered. It was almost impossible to hear. 

There was a moment of silence between them, as Shouto focused on transporting them where they needed to go. His majestic wings glided with the wind currents, and Izuku found himself staring at them. 

“Shouto … I was wondering … why is it that I never knew you could take this form? Your wings are beautiful.” 

“It’s because alterations like this are dangerous for wizards. You know how wizards can be corrupted by contracts with demons? Well that isn’t the only way that can happen. It’s not hard for me to change my body to have wings like this, but it is hard to go back to my real form once I’m done. It would be all too easy for me to just keep transforming further away from a human being, and become … well … I would become a monster. There are some wizards out there who took on forms like this and forgot who they were entirely.” 

“Really? I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.” 

“It will be fine, Izuku,” the wizard assured him. “As long as I have you here, I’ll have a reason to return to my true form. I just need you to remind me who I am if I go too far.” 

Shouto started to slow down, and Izuku could see the world around them once again. He saw the castle moving below them, walking at a steady pace across the mountains. _‘Shinsou is in there making the castle move. What will happen to him when I break their contract? The contract I forgot to tell Shouto I can break …’_

“Shouto,” he started to say, but it was too late. They were landing already, and as Shouto touched the ground the wings slowly receded into his back. They didn’t have time to talk, and Shouto’s wings didn’t have time to fully retreat back into his skin. The process seemed painful, but the wizard was doing his best to hide his discomfort from his expression. Shouto held him still as he approached the castle’s door. It would be easier to carry him inside, since Izuku shouldn’t be putting weight on the injured foot anyways. 

As they closed in on the door, Izuku felt anxious. They were so close to the hearth, and so close to Shinsou. Once Dabi was taken care of, he could give the wizard his heart back and save him. There would be no demonic corruption in his future, and he wouldn’t be afraid of never loving anymore. 

For a brief moment, Izuku wondered if Shouto would love other people again when he had his heart properly beating in his chest. _‘No, he wouldn’t do that to me … and even if he would, I have to take that risk. Saving his life is all that’s important. Whatever is on the other side of the door … whatever happens after this battle … whatever the future holds for us … it will be fine. Shouto, I’m so close to breaking your contract, I won’t let anything stop me now._


	28. All You Can Hear Is The Sound Of Your Own Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouto and Izuku reach the castle, and prepare to face off against Dabi, the final villain standing between them and breaking Shouto's contract with his fire demon. They don't know what is about to happen, but one thing is for certain, it is not what they were expecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I came like this close to crying while writing this scene? I just have a lot of feelings about these characters and I put them through a lot, but I promise you all this story has a happy ending. Even this chapter has a happy ending, despite the fact I was almost in tears writing this. It doesn't help that I was listening to sad songs kept coming on shuffle. I wrote the ending mostly listening to What the Water Gave Me by FLorence and the Machines and Liability by Lorde. Then, as I was ending it all my favorite sad song, [The Sea is a Good Place to Think About the Future by Los! Campesinos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJHs7IFEpUo) , came on so I named the chapter after that. 
> 
> Anyways, enough of me being emotional! Go enjoy the latest chapter! Sorry I made you all wait for it! 
> 
> I also wrote a short TodoDeku Pro Heroes fic while I was brainstorming for this chapter. [You can read it here if you'd like!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16001774/chapters/37336001)

Izuku felt anxious as he watched Shouto brought them closer to the castle’s entrance. There was no telling what would be behind that door. While they were out Dabi could have hurt their friends, or captured Shinsou, or started to burn the castle down. _‘Well, maybe not the last part. If he had, I would see smoke,’_ he told himself. Still, there were endless possibilities of things he could find when he walked in, which was why he was utterly shocked when they entered and found that the castle was in pristine condition. There wasn’t an object out of place. 

“Where’s Dabi?” Shouto yelled, not wasting any time with pleasantries. 

The three wizards and the scarecrow who were in the house already turned to look at the couple who had entered. Uraraka covered her mouth in horrified surprise as she saw Izuku with his many broken bones, and he felt bad for the worry he knew he was causing her. She had been his protector for years, and it clearly pained her to see him this badly hurt. She rushed over to them. 

“I haven’t seen him since we were in the field,” she informed him. “What happened to Deku?” 

“My father,” Shouto whispered. “Endeavor is dead now, but he hurt Izuku pretty badly. I healed what I could but I think he’ll need long term treatment and a few casts. Momo, can you make some?” 

She nodded, and her arm glowed as she started to create the various limb braces that Izuku would need. Meanwhile, Shouto carefully placed Izuku in a chair by the fireplace, and elevated his ankle. He rolled up the pant leg, and removed the sock so he could better access the injury. The wizard’s actions were absent minded, and his thoughts were clearly elsewhere. Izuku remembered what Shouto had told him of his nightmare the other morning. _“Each day my father would wake me up at dawn and I would train with him for as long as he saw fit, then I’d be sent to my room to study and tend to my injuries.” _Maybe it was just part of the dream, or maybe Shouto was used to treating wounds because of years of practice. If that was true, Izuku was even more relieved that awful man was dead.__

__“I know Dabi is going to attack,” Shouto said. “I assumed he would be here already, trying to steal my heart while we were fighting my father, but I guess I was wrong. He’s … unpredictable, but everything he does is very intentional. If he hasn’t acted yet, it’s for a good reason. We all need to be on high alert.”_ _

__Izuku tried to focus on what he was saying, but he suddenly felt warmth against his chest and it was making him uncomfortable. _‘It’s probably because I’m sitting next to the fire,’_ he told himself. Still, the fire would have warmed his whole body, not just this one spot ..._ _

__“If Dabi were to get into the castle,” Uraraka began, “How would he do it? I mean, aren’t we protected here?”_ _

__“I suspect he would try and send something into the castle that he was hiding in. Apparently he sent a mandrake seed into the castle before, but I still have no clue how he managed that.”_ _

__The warmth against Izuku’s chest was getting hotter, but he tried ignoring it. It felt like it was coming from the locket around his neck. _‘It’s probably getting warm because it’s close to the flames, maybe I could ask Shinsou to turn down the heat a little? No, it’s fine. I shouldn’t be distracting others with my minor problems at a time like this.’_ _ _

__“What sort of things can he hide in?”_ _

__“Well, it could be anything really. As long as it’s not a living thing, he can hid in it. He must be hiding in some inanimate object like a book, or a satchel, or …”_ _

__Izuku wasn’t listening, because now the locket was so hot it was practically burning his skin. He let out a hiss of pain and reached at his chest, trying to pull the locket away, but it burned his hand in the process and he couldn’t stand the touch. Shouto suddenly dropped everything and ran to his side. His eyes were wide in panic, as he knelt by Izuku and tried to figure out what was causing the pain._ _

__“Izuku! What’s wrong?” Before Izuku could answer, the wizard noticed the smoke rising off his locket. He grabbed it, and pulled it off his boyfriend’s throat. “I’m sorry, Izuku.”_ _

__The heat of the locket didn’t seem to phase Shouto, who took the broken chain and smoldering pendant and then threw them across the room towards the exit. Before it reached, the piece of jewelry exploded mid air, and out of the burst came a small blue fire, which then erupted into a pillar of flame that had to be eight feet tall. Out of the fire, a human like figure formed, and as the flames faded they revealed Dabi._ _

__He wasn’t hiding his face with beautification magic this time, and Izuku could see that the dark under eye circles and five o’ clock shadow were actually deep purple scars that marred his face and body. His shirt collar was very loose, and Izuku saw more scars along his neck and chest, as well as his forearms. They seemed like burn scars almost, but where they ended the flesh seemed to be stapled back together. _‘What could have caused that?’_ _ _

__The demon stood there, as if he was enjoying the attention he was getting as everyone in the room stared at him. He ignored everyone else in the room, and instead shot deathly glares at Izuku and Shouto as they sat by the fireplace that housed his prize. Izuku knew if looks could kill he would have died long ago, either from Bakugo or Endeavor, but this glare was even worse than the ones he had received from either. In their hatred, he had only seen anger and malice. If those looks killed, they would be s swift blow. If this looked he was getting now could kill, it would have been one to take its time and draw out the suffering of its victim as long as possible._ _

__“Hello, baby brother,” the demon greeted Shouto. “My, it sure has been a long time since our last chat. You look well, I think the corrupted look suits you.”_ _

___‘He’s talking about the wings isn’t he? But if he was hiding in my locket the whole time, he knows Shouto only did that to save me. He just wants to make him feel bad about it!’_ _ _

__It evidently worked, as a frown fell on Shouto’s face. His gaze lowered, and he seemed to agree with Dabi that taking this form was wrong, even if it was for a good cause._ _

__“Oh, sorry,” the demon cooed. “Is that a touchy subject, Shouto?”_ _

__“Shut up,” Izuku yelled. “Shouto would never let himself become corrupted. He only grew wings so that we could get back and defend our friends from the likes of you! You won’t be able to be able to corrupt him the way you tried to corrupt Endeavor, he’s stronger than that.”_ _

__“We’ll see about that, won’t we?”_ _

__The demon ran at them. _‘Is he going to grab Shinsou, or is he attacking Shouto?’_ It was hard to tell who his target was, or at least Izuku thought. Shouto on the other hand, must have figured it out. Dabi ignited his palms in blue flames, and went to strike Izuku, who didn’t have time to react at all. Luckil Shouto kicked the chair out of the way in time, moving Izuku safely away from the demon and the center of the fighting. _ _

__“You won’t be hurting him,” the wizard informed Dabi._ _

__Shouto then gathered frost in his hand and reached out for Dabi, trying to freeze him over. The demon blocked with a warm arm that melted any frost the wizard could conjure. Before Shouto could get in another attack, Dabi shoved him back into his own wall of ice, nearly causing the wizard to fall. Shouto caught himself, but just barely, and he didn’t have time to react to the next hit as Dabi’s hand neared his face._ _

__Just before Dabi could make contact, he was suddenly flung backwards and pinned to the ground by Uraraka, who was putting her combat practice to good use. She pressed a knee against him, and twisted his wrist against his back._ _

__“Leave them alone, you creep!”_ _

__Izuku was grateful that she had saved Shouto. He felt useless, only being able to sit in a chair and watch as his boyfriend was under attacks. Unfortunately, the relief didn’t last very long. Dabi’s body melted into slime, and trapped Uraraka’s hands inside a gooey prison. _‘He was a duplicate like the one Endeavor made of Shouto? No, he’s really here, he just swapped out with a duplicate somehow when Uraraka attacked!’_ _ _

__Izuku suddenly realized that the real Dabi must have still been standing by Shouto, concealed from view somehow. He flung himself over to where his boyfriend was, and swept the area around him with a kick. He stood on his good leg, and hoped that whatever he hit didn’t further damage his ankle too badly. _‘Sorry Shouto, I have to break my promise of not using my broken bones.’_ _ _

__His foot collided with Dabi just as he materialized. The demon was ready, catching the leg and using it to toss Izuku aside. Before Iida or Momo could join the fray, Dabi distracted them by starting a fire at the base of the scarecrow. In no time at all he could be completely burned up if they did nothing. He partitioned their side of the room off with a wall of fire for good measure._ _

__“No! You bastard,” Momo screamed, just before she was completely hidden by the wall of fire._ _

__Izuku landed hard against the floor, and he could tell his shoulder had been injured again. _‘Shit! At least it’s the already broken arm, so I still have one good arm left,’_ he thought. It certainly wasn’t a good silver lining, but it meant he could still fight. _ _

__As he looked over he saw Dabi attacking Shouto again. The demon threw punch after punch, all of them shrouded in blue flames. Shouto blocked some, and dodged others, but his movements were hindered by the wings on his back. They made moving in tight spaces harder, and he couldn't roll out out of the way without hurting them._ _

__Dabi landed a good hit against Shouto, and he fell backwards. Dabi took advantage of the opening to punch the wall of ice with a super heated fist that completely shattered the defensive wall around the hearth. Shouto tried to sweep the demon’s legs from underneath him, but he was too late. Dabi’s hand reached into the hearth and grabbed its contents; Shinsou and the organ he was attached to._ _

__Shouto shuddered, and collapsed on the floor completely. He clutched at his chest where his heart should have been, and let out a cry through clenched teeth. _‘No! What is happening to him?’_ Izuku tried to get up and attack, but before he could, the demon put up a cautionary finger. _ _

__“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he warned as he squeezed the heart lightly. Shinsou and Shouto both cried out in pain. “Unless you want me to keep hurting your little boyfriend.”_ _

__“Why are you doing this? I thought you wanted to steal his heart, not kill him?”_ _

__“Since you were so kind as to take out Enji for me, I’m free of that old contract. Now, if I can steal this heart. I’ll have all the benefits of a contract without having to make one. I have to keep Shouto alive, but I can still hurt him. As long as his organs still work, it doesn’t matter what state or form he’s in.”_ _

__“Form?”_ _

__“Like this,” the demon said, as he manipulated Shouto’s heart with a little magic. The wizard’s now unconscious body started to shift. The wings started to grow out again, and this time feathers and barbs started to grow out of his arms as well. Fingers turned to claws, and the skin on his fingertips turned from a pale tan to black. Feathers started to expand to other parts of his body, to Izuku’s horror._ _

__“You’re killing him! Stop it!”_ _

__Suddenly, the demon found his manipulation ceased. He seemed shocked by the turn of events. _‘I told him to stop, and he did ... Even if I can’t fight him, I can stop him with my magic!’_ _ _

__“You little-”_ _

__“Drop the heart,” he commanded. The demon’s hand lost its grip on Shinsou, and the heart started to fall to the floor. Izuku lunged forward to grab it, but Dabi regained his grip on it once again. Just as he did, the wall of fire that had been separating the room was put out by a bucket of water that Momo and Iida had thrown on it. The scarecrow stood behind them, a bit singed and very damp by otherwise fine. Iida ran forward and poured some potion Momo had made onto the slime imprisoning Uraraka, and soon she too was free._ _

__“Shit,” Dabi muttered. He realized that he was outnumbered, and outmatched. He rushed for the door, and Iida ran to get there first, but Dabi used a spell that sent him flying backwards, then he ran out of the castle. Izuku realized that as he took Shinsou out, the castle would collapse. _‘We need to leave! But I can’t carry Shouto in this condition, and I have to go after Dabi!’_ _ _

__“Someone take Shouto, and then everyone has to get out immediately!” As much as he wanted to wait and make sure the man he loved got out fine, he knew that someone had to go after Dabi or else saving Shouto would be pointless. “Legs, we have to go faster than Dabi, I’m sorry.”_ _

__He launched himself out the door, and looked to see where Dabi had gone. The demon was only a few paces ahead of him, but when he saw Izuku running after him he shot fire at his feet. Izuku jumped over it. _‘I’m not about to let that stop me from saving Shouto!’_ _ _

__Izuku ran faster than he ever had in his life, and he thought that he might have been going as past as Iida … until he started to collapse. He could feel pain in his ankle once again, clearly having worsened his condition by running on his wounded leg. His leg gave out under the weight of himself, and he started to fall to the floor. _‘No! I can’t stop now … I have to-’_ _ _

__That was when he felt hands wrap around his waist, and he was hoisted into the air. He turned his head to see what grabbed him, and was greeted by dark blue hair and a pair of spectacles._ _

__“Iida!”_ _

__His friend had grabbed him before he could completely wipe out, and now he was running at his top speed. Based on the faint pink glow, it was clear Uraraka had used her power to make him lighter and more efficient. He looked stern, and his thick brows were furrowed in anger.  
“Let’s go get him, Midoriya,” he shouted. His legs started to glow with blue light, like a vortex around them. “Reciprooooo … Burst!”_ _

__With his friend’s battle cry, they were both propelled forwards almost as fast as Shoto had traveled in his winged form. The world around them was almost hard to see, and Izuku almost closed his eyes. As they were flung forward, Dabi turned back to defend himself, but he was too slow. He couldn’t have hoped to match the sudden burst of energy that Iida was letting out._ _

__Iida and Izuku ran into him, full force, knocking Shinsou and the heart out of his hands and flying into the air. In his last moment before they crashed to the ground, Iida threw his friend in the same direction that the heart was going._ _

__Below him, Izuku could see Dabi and Iida crashing into a pile of limbs and anger. He heard them both struggling as Dabi tried to break free of the royal protector’s grip, but being unable to free himself. Iida grabbed at his arms to restrain him, and Dabi tried to bite his hand. It was quite the battle, but Izuku couldn’t pay any attention to it._ _

__He was flying through the air, and before him was Shinsou. Cradled in his featherlight body was an organ, so fragile and small that it was hard to believe it was the only thing keeping both Shoto and the demon alive. Shinsou saw Izuku approaching, and his eyes widened, not in fear or shock but in sudden hope. Izuku reached out his hand, just barely too far away to grab him. What was worse, he could feel himself losing speed, while Shinsou showed no sign of stopping._ _

__“I won’t let you fall, Shinsou,” he sobbed. The tears he created barely stayed in his eye, as the wind flicked them away instantly. “I’m going to save you, and I’m going to save Shouto! I’m going to free you both, and nothing will trap either of you ever again! Just … please! Come to me!”_ _

__As he said the words, he noticed a slight gravitational pull, similar to the on his mother had utilized. His words weren’t enough to counteract the momentum and bring Shinsou closer, but he had watched Inko Midoriya pull object to herself since he was an infant. If there was any power he knew other than his own, it was hers._ _

___‘If I break my second arm using mom’s power, I won’t have anything left to catch Shinsou with! And I’ll still be falling at an alarming rate, I won’t be able to stop myself! No, I can use the wind I conjured earlier to push against the ground and if I time it right, Sinsou and I will both live. I just have to make it so I don’t break my arm with this catch … Shinsou, come closer!’_ _ _

__He imitated his mother’s movements as she would draw an object closer. He moved his hand back and forth. _‘Don’t let your arm burst, this time,’_ he told himself. Shinsou moved about half a foot closer. _ _

__“Hey,” the demon yelped. “ How are you doing that?”_ _

__“My mother … It’s what she would do!” As he yelled, he repeated the movement again._ _

__He was trying very hard not to break his bones right then. He could feel the ache, like the bones were just barely resisting the urge to shatter. _‘But I can’t let them! I have people relying on me! Shouto, Shinsou, Uraraka, Iida, Momo, Rei, and those are just the people here right now. Mom’s relying on me too, and who knows how many other people Dabi would hurt if he got Shoto’s heart. I can’t let them down! I have to stay together, if only for a few more minutes!’_ _ _

__He moved his hand one more time, and he felt his hand touching the heart. It was hot, but not enough to burn him. It was barely as big as his palm, and he could feel it fluttering gently like a butterfly trapped in his hands. It felt like even holding it too tightly might cause the whole organ to fade into dust, and holding something so delicate terrified Izuku, but he couldn’t focus on that as he pulled the heart of the man he loved closer to himself._ _

___‘I … actually did it! I have Shoto’s heart, and my bones aren’t even broken!’_ He cradled it against his own chest, putting his hand around it defensively and bracing for the inevitable impact with the ground. He couldn’t cast spells with his hand, not while he was holding the fragile organ in his only hand. _‘Am … am I about to die?’_ _ _

__He didn’t want to die. Deep down, no one did. Some people saw death as their only option, but it wasn’t truly dying that they wanted. They wanted change, or a second chance, or to feel less hopeless, but to some those were unachievable goals and they saw no other option. Bakugo had once told him he should take that path, that he should give it all up and let his pathetic life fade away. He’d refused, and here he was better for it_ _

___… I can’t believe it’s all over now,’_ Izuku thought sadly. _‘Everything I fought so hard for …’_ _ _

__“I’m sorry, Shinsou. I really tried,” he whispered. “I did. I love you, and I love Shouto, and I love all of our friends. You’re all going to be just fine, I promise. You’re going to survive.”_ _

__He was crying again, and it was a wonder he still had tears left to spill._ _

__“Izuku … what are you saying? Don’t be like that, we’re all going to be fine.”_ _

__“Yea, I’d like to think that too, but I think I’ve used up all my luck just getting this far. We’re falling awfully fast ... the human body was made to survive this impact. It’s … fine.”_ _

__“No! It’s not fine! Stop talking like you’re going to die, we can work through it!”_ _

__“I’m … glad that I got to meet you, Shinsou. Thank you for offering to break my curse,” Izuku whispered._ _

__He could sense that the ground was getting close now. He didn’t have long. He let his eyes flutter shut, and his body fall. _‘If I have to go, at least I’m saving everyone else in the process. I only wish I could live to see everyone happy.’_ He sobbed gently and he held Shinsou closer, but still gently enough that it wouldn’t hurt the organ he was attached to. _ _

__Just when he’d given up all hope, he felt a hand touch his back, and suddenly he slowed down. The world that was rushing past him before drifted to a halt, and he felt an arm lift him from under his legs, while another cradled his back._ _

__He gently opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was the color pink. The next thing he saw were two wide brown eyes staring down at him. Could it be …_ _

__“Uraraka?”_ _

__She smiled at him, and held him in her strong arms. Her light pink dress fluttered gently as they drifted to the ground, only about five feet below them. She landed, and fell to her knees, laying him down in the grass to his side. His head rested in a patch of moss, his hand still clutching the heart._ _

__“You’re safe now!”_ _

__She looked like she was about to throw up, and she covered her mouth with her hand as she tried to calm her unstable stomach._ _

__“But … how did you get to me? I thought you were back at the castle.”_ _

__“Well, I was at what’s left of the castle. It started to fall apart, as I’m sure you realized would happen once Shinsou was gone. When we saw you falling, we all worked together to catch you. The scarecrow stuck himself into the ground and Momo created a huge elastic that she attached half to him and half to part of the castle. We used that to slingshot me over here just in time. Did you really think we would just let you die?”_ _

__“I didn’t think you’d be able to reach me,” he whispered._ _

__She brushed the grey hairs out of his face, and gently pressed a kiss to his forehead. She looked at her best friend with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face._ _

__“Deku, I’ll always find a way to protect you. It doesn’t matter if it’s from Bakugo, or yourself, or certain death. I’ll always be here to make sure you’re okay. You’re one of my best friends, and I love you.”_ _

__This was the second love declaration he’d received that day, but the two were so different. Both were a protective and devoted love. He knew that given the opportunity, both Shoto and Uraraka would give everything to ensure he was okay, and that terrified him despite knowing he would do the same for either of them. Still, the love he received from Uraraka was a platonic compassion and a familial bond almost. Shouto’s love was both careful and passionate, a simultaneous need and fear of intimacy. He was glad to have both in his life._ _

__“I love you too, Uraraka,” he said. For a moment, he was so shocked by his near death experience he almost forgot what had been happening around them. “Wait, where is Shouto? Did he make it out alright? I have to go-”_ _

__“Relax, Deku,” she whispered, as she put a hand on his non injured shoulder. “Momo is bringing him over now. Until he gets here, just lay still. You’ve had a lot happen, so catch your breath. It’s all going to be fine, I can feel it.”_ _

__If she could feel it, he knew it had to be true. A wizard could always trust something about their gut feelings. That instinct and deep connection to magic somehow allowed them to tell these sort of things._ _

__“Thank you, Uraraka,” he whispered. “Thank you for everything.”_ _

__She smiled gently, and rubbed his shoulder gently._ _

__“Of course,” she replied. “What are friends for?”_ _


	29. My Love, My Star, My Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight with Dabi is wrapping up, and now Izuku has only to return the heart to Shouto before he can free him of the contract. Will he be able to save Shinsou and his boyfriend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello I'm sorry this chapter is like 2 weeks late? I have been busy with life and I really wanted to get this right. **This is not the final chapter! There will be other chapters after this!** Now, with that out of the way, enjoy the story! As usual I love hearing from you all and thank you so much for leaving such nice comments on this fic! Your encouragement and feedback have helped me as I wrote this super hecking long fic, and as I wrote my first ever piece of fan fiction that I've shown to others! Yall are the backbone of this fic, I'm just the one doing the actual writing (and even then you guys give nice suggestions and ask questions that help keep me on track)!

Izuku lay in the cool mountain grass and couldn’t help but feel a sense of peacefulness wash over him, in spite of everything going on. He couldn’t move his arm, or his lower leg, but he could move one of each, and he could move his torso just fine. Most importantly, he was alive. Mere moments beforehand, he had thought that was impossible. Death had seemed imminent, and he had cried as he thought of everything he was about to lose. But then, his best friend had defied all odds and saved him yet again. Izuku knew he was incredibly lucky to have her, and incredibly luck to still be in the world of the living. 

He took a deep breath, still unsure how to process the days events. Never before had he experienced such a long day. It was hard to believe that just that morning he’d woken up to comfort his boyfriend from a nightmare. Merely hours before, he and Shouto had been talking into the morning hours as they lay in bed together, and it had all seemed right. There was no sign of the suffering that afternoon would bring, or of the new hope it would introduce either. The more he thought about the day, the more that peaceful sense faded and his emotions stirred. 

Everything that had happened since that moment was hard to accept. Izuku had lost track of the amount of times he’d nearly lost the man he loved. He could still see the image of the duplicate Shouto melting into goo, and he would never forget how he felt as he sat by helplessly while Endeavor tried to make Shouto kill him. That sense of dread and fear mingling with trust and hope, creating an uncomfortable cocktail of emotions he couldn’t stomach. He felt hot tears roll off his cheeks once more. The day had been full of horrors and feelings he’d never wanted to know, but had experienced nonetheless, and now it was all coming to an end. The agony, the uncertainty, the fear, they were all fading. As these feelings left, Izuku didn’t know what emotions he was supposed to replace them with. Joy? Happiness? Relief? Instead, he was just left feeling tired as the adrenaline left his body. It was over, right? So why did he feel so on edge still. 

Izuku felt the grass, and it was cool against his skin. It was quite the contrast with the warmth in his hand as he cradled the fire demon and Shouto’s heart. He didn’t know how it was that he could hold a fire with his bare hands and not be burned. He knew Dabi could hold Shinsou because hey we’re both fire demons, and Shouto might have been able to do it because of their contract as well as his own affinity for fire magic, but Izuku had none of those things. The closest he came to fire power was his father’s magic that he had never been able to use. By all accounts the fire should have burned his skin as he touched it, but he chose not to question it. Magic was all about belief, so if he believed he could place the flaming heart back into Shouto’s chest with his own bare hand, so be it. 

Above them, the sky was a wonderful bright blue, paler than the wizard’s own aqua colored eye, but equally as beautiful. Izuku wished Shouto were with him, consciously laying in the grass by his side and taking in the scenery. _‘After I save him, we can enjoy peaceful moments like that without a sense of looming dread,’_ he reminded himself. Momo would be bringing Shoto to him soon enough, and all he had to do was wait until she arrived.

Puffy white clouds passed by, moved along by gusts of wind that pushed them on to unknown destinations. As Izuku looked to his side, he could see other mountains, as well as deep valleys, sprawling forests, and peaceful fields. The mountain they were on wasn’t as steep as others, and it had large open fields of grass and clovers, which surrounded his form as he lay amongst them. The world around him was truly breathtaking. 

“Up here, everything looks so beautiful,” he whispered to Uraraka, who was still sitting by his side.

“It does,” she agreed. 

“I can’t help but feel it contrasts with how I’ve felt all day. It seems like it’s just been one near death experience to another. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve cried or thought I lost Shouto … but …” He couldn’t finish his sentence, but he could tell his best friend knew what he meant. 

“It’s alright, Deku,” she said softly. “It won’t be much longer now. Just hang in there”

“Shinsou,” he whispered to the small purple fire in his grasp. “I’ll free you and Shouto once he gets here, I promise.” 

“I don’t doubt it,” the demon said. “I plan to keep my promise as well. Once I’m free, I’ll break your curse.” 

Izuku couldn’t help but laugh. As he did, he felt his body ache all over. Clearly, laughter was not good for his various injuries. 

“What’s so funny?” The demon pouted at him It seemed he wasn’t the only one who found his laughter discordant, as his best friend seemed to share the sentiment. 

“Are you really laughing at a time like this, Deku?” Uraraka looked shocked. 

“It’s not funny, really. I just got so distracted trying to save everyone else that I actually forgot about my own curse for a moment,” he admitted. “I just accepted that this was my life, and learned to work around it. When you said you would break my curse, I had to remind myself what you meant.” 

“Oh,” the demon scoffed with an eye roll. “Well if you want to stay an old man-” 

“No! I would like to regain sixty years of my life back, thanks.” He looked to Uraraka, and thought of all his friends and the man he loved. “I think I have a bright future ahead of me, and I plan to spend every second of those sixty years or so I have left with the people I love. I have more reasons now than I ever did before to stick around, and there’s so much that I want to do still. Uraraka, you saved my life, and Shinsou you’re saving my future. I won’t waste the time you’ve all given me.” 

The demon smiled at him. It wasn’t a smirk, or a devious grin, or anything of the sort. It was an honest smile, and it might have been the first true smile that Izuku had received from Shinsou. 

Unfortunately, the moment was ruined by a sudden yelp of pain that echoed through the field. As both Izuku and Uraraka turned to see what happened they notice Dabi, now freed from Iida’s grasp, running towards them. He ignited his hands with blue flame as he raced across the field to their location. Iida scrambled up from the ground, where he was clutching at his side. Evidently, Dabi had burned him there enough to make the royal protector lose his grip, and in that moment the demon had escaped. 

“I won’t go down that easily,” the demon hissed as he shot a wall of flames towards them. 

Not having enough time to react, and lacking the ability to stand, all Izuku could do was turn his face from the flames. _‘There’s not enough time to run, and with only one arm and one leg I can’t do anything to protect myself or Uraraka,’_ he thought. He looked up to his best friend, who hurriedly pushed him with both her hands, making him float and sending him flying away. Izuku looked on in horror, as he drifted away from the approaching flames, starting to leave Uraraka behind. 

“Uraraka? No!” His voice was hoarse and he could barely get the words out. 

He looked at her, and then to the flames. Even with her sacrifice, he was still too close to the fire, and he was about to be burned just as badly as she was. He closed his eyes, and turned away, being incapable of doing anything else. _‘I’m so useless. The Shouto that I saw in my nightmare was right … I can’t save him. I can’t save Shinsou. I can’t save Uraraka … I can’t even save myself.’_

He curled his body around the heart and Shinsou protectively as the flames were about to reach them. The flames should have hit him then. But it didn’t. He didn’t feel the heat that he’d anticipated. His skin didn’t burn and blister and peel the way it should have. Instead, he felt a chill run down his spine as the world grew colder all of a sudden. 

He opened his eyes. Before him, blocking the path from the fire, was a wall of solid ice. It didn’t touch him, but he could feel himself starting to shiver simply from the close proximity to the structure. In the last second before the flames had reached them, someone had summoned the barrier to shield them. 

“But,” Izuku muttered. “If Shouto is unconscious then who could have …”

He saw a flash of grey, as Rei Todoroki arrived on the scene. She was still wearing the Seven league boots, but as she stopped in the field they unlaced themselves and she stepped out of them. She walked towards the demon, an intimidating look in her eyes as she went. Izuku had never seen her so angry before. Even as she had murdered Endeavor, she only looked like she was in shock. Now, she seemed to have had time to come to terms with her actions. She wasn’t afraid of Dabi the way she’d been afraid of Endeavor. Instead, she looked cold and confidant. 

“I’ve already put an end to your wizard, Dabi,” she said to the demon. “I won’t let you hurt anyone else.” 

“You think you can stop fire with your ice powers?” 

“Endeavor’s fatal mistake was underestimating my abilities … t’s rather foolish of you to do the same and expect a different result,” she warned. 

The demon perceived this as a taunt, but as Izuku floated at the top of the ice wall, he knew it was no such thing. Rei’s words weren’t overconfidence or goading, but the truth. Her magic was ice, and that was weakened by fire, but even then she had taken advantage of her late husband’s arrogance to destroy him once and for all. She was a powerful wizard, and now that she had regained her true form she was a formidable enemy. 

Dabi lunged at her, a flaming fist fully intended to hit her. As she saw the attack there was a blank look in her eyes for a moment, as she seemed to recall the familiarity of the scenario. She didn’t move, too frozen in fear by the memories of another person who had threatened her similarly. _‘No,’_ Izuku thought. _’I can’t let this happen, but I can’t move to help her.’_

“Rei! You have to fight,” he called out to her. 

At the sudden noise, she snapped back to reality and created a slick of ice that effortlessly slid her away from Dabi’s attack just in time. The demon’s fist only made contact with air, and Rei skidded to a stop on the other side of him, where she launched a wall of ice towards his body in hopes of imprisoning him inside it. 

Just as he saw Dabi turn to look at Rei again, Izuku felt his body start to fall downwards a Uraraka released him from her levitation magic. He dropped towards the ground, but she caught him just in time. He fell into her strong outstretched arms, and she ran with him to the other side of the ice wall where Rei and Dabi were still fighting. 

“Deku, how can we help her?” Uraraka looked to her friend for the answers, but he looked puzzled. 

“I’m not sure,” Izuku admitted. “I think Rei has a plan of her own. She had this determination in her eyes as she told Dabi she would defeat him. I get the feeling her ice power isn’t the only thing she’s going to use.” 

“What else does she have to use?” 

Izuku wondered that himself. Both Shouto and Endeavor had used illusion magic, maybe Rei was also trained in that art? She clearly knew protection magic, from the spell she had cast on her son, but what other types of magic did she know? He hadn’t thought to ask her about her abilities, since up until now she’d had such little time in her human form each day. _‘Once we’ve survived this, I’ll have to ask her some time,’_ he decided.

Without knowing the extent of her powers, the two of them could only watch on as Rei fought the demon. She was dodging quite expertly by gliding along paths of ice and out of the way of the demon’s jets of flames. She had pushed aside the memories that had made her hesitate at first, and now she was fighting in earnest. 

Dabi launched flames in her direction, and she dodged while simultaneously summoning a pillar of ice behind him, nearly knocking him over. He managed to catch himself, but not without having to stumble to regain his balance. 

“You can’t win this,” the demon told her. “You’ll just end up as kindling.” 

Izuku felt nervous as he watched on, but he knew he had to trust in Rei’s ability to protect them. _‘You can do this! Please be safe,’_ he silently begged of her. She hadn’t gotten in a good hit yet, but she was getting closer to hitting him with each attack. 

“Uraraka,” Izuku whispered. “I think I know how we can help her!” 

“What? How?” 

“She can’t hit Dabi because he’s to focused on dodging her attacks, but if we can distract him in some way then she’ll have an opportunity to strike.” 

“And how do you plan to do that?” 

“It doesn’t have to be a big distraction, just something to make him lose focus. I need you to bring me close enough that Dabi will be able to hear me.” 

“Deku I don’t think-” 

“Please? I promise that I won’t let myself get hurt,” he assured her. “You have my word.” 

She paused, not wanting to go through with this plan but unsure what other options they had. Izuku knew it hurt her to see him this injured. His arm, his finger, his ankle … none of them were going to heal any time soon. Shouto had used their only powerful healing potion on him already, and without it he would have to let his bones mend the old fashioned way. After all the times Uraraka had protected him as a child, he’d been injured while she couldn’t reach him. She didn’t want to let that happen again. She didn’t want her best friend to be hurt but … 

“Deku, I trust you,” she whispered sadly. “If you promise you won’t injure yourself, I want to believe you. I’m going to bring you in, but I won’t let you get hurt. I’ll keep you safe.” 

“Thank you, Uraraka.” 

She ran with him in her arms until they were close enough to the battling demon and wizard that even Izuku’s hoarse and tired voice could be heard over the sounds of roaring flames and shooting ice. Rei saw them and her eyes widened in surprise, as if to say, “You shouldn’t be here.” Izuku wished he could reassure her, and tell her it would all be fine, but there was no time. If Rei had seen them, then Dabi wouldn’t be long behind. _‘I might as well let him know we’re here,’_ Izuku thought. 

“Hey!” Izuku shouted the words as loud as he could. “Dabi!” 

The demon looked at him, but he didn’t give him his full attention. Evidently, the demon knew that, while Izuku was a threat, Rei was more of an immediate danger. He didn’t take his eyes off her for more than a slip second. 

“What are you planning, Izuku? I won’t fall for your little tricks,” the demon told him.

“I’m only planning to save my boyfriend! I’m going to go give his heart back to him before you can take it,” Izuku yelled. The demon flared up with blue flames, evidently enraged. Izuku turned to Uraraka and whispered, “Run!” 

The demon seemed to decide that Izuku was his new priority, as he had the heart in his hand and was now running to give it back to Shouto. Dabi ran after them, but Rei used his divided attention to freeze him in place. She only got his legs frozen, before the demon erupted into a ball of blue flames, melting the ice away. The demon realized that his human form was holding him back. As long as he had a body, Rei could freeze it. However, in his demonic form he was more maneuverable. Fire couldn’t be frozen the way a human body could. 

Dabi’s form contorted and twisted as it was replaced by a pillar of blue fire. He closely resembled Shinsou, since they were both fire demons, but his face was different and he burned much hotter than the other demon. Being outside of the hearth, Shinsou was growing weaker by the second. He was small enough to fit in Izuku’s hands, and he could only burn hot enough to boil a cup of tea or two. Meanwhile. Dabi was an inferno, and he launched his new fiery body towards where Uraraka was running along, carrying Izuku. 

“Deku,” Uraraka whispered nervously. “He’d approaching really fast! What do we do?” 

“I don’t know,” Izuku admitted. “I didn’t think he could transform like that! I thought if we distracted him that Rei could freeze his body but he reacted too fast and now he doesn’t seem to have a body to freeze!” 

The demon was practically upon them now, and there wasn’t anywhere they could go to escape. Izuku exchanged a look of horror with his best friend, and with his eyes he silently begged for her forgiveness. _‘It’s all my fault that you’re about to be hurt, Uraraka. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have dragged you into this plan,’_ he thought, tears returning to his eyes once more. It was a wonder that he even had tears left to cry at this point. _‘Maybe I can try and put up a ward? Or maybe … I could try and blow him away with a gust of wind like I conjured earlier? I have to try something but -’_

His thoughts were interrupted suddenly, as he heard a booming voice rushing towards them. It was loud, and deep, and confident. It grew louder and louder as it grew close. 

“Fear not,” the voice spoke, “For I am here!” 

_‘But that’s … All Might’s catch phrase?’_ Izuku turned to see where it was coming from, and his eyes caught on to something fast approaching. It was … the scarecrow? He launched himself into the air off his wooden pole, and right towards Dabi. 

Despite not having a visible body, Dabi looked fearful as he saw the scarecrow suddenly upon him. The demon had no time to react before the scarecrow crashed into him, hitting a small black lump inside his otherwise intangible for. The object flew to the side, and dragged the rest of the demon with it. _‘So he can be touched in that form,’_ Izuku noted. 

The black lump tumbled across the field, and Dabi’s fire died down as he retook his human form. He looked quite pained, and he clutched at his chest as if he were having a heart attack. The glare that the demon gave to the scarecrow was full of even more malice than all the ones he had given Izuku combined. 

“How …” the demon coraked out. “How did you realize? Did you get your memories back?” 

The scarecrow was too badly damaged by the demon’s flames to answer. He fell to the ground, still smoldering from the flames that he’d thrown himself against to protect Uraraka and Izuku. He made coughing noises, but his body didn’t move. 

“I … wouldn’t stand by while you hurt these children,” the scarecrow coughed. 

Rei slid over and encased the scarecrow in a thin layer of ice, putting out the fire instantly. The ice then spread and lifted up Dabi, trapping him in a pillar of ice that restrained him from hurting anyone else. As the action died down, Iida and Momo ran over to them as well. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help,” Iida said. “When Rei showed up, I realized that Yaoyorozu was alone in protecting Todoroki and so I went over to help her.” 

Momo was carrying the wizard in her arms, and he didn’t look good. The color had drained from his face, and his wings were still attached, but dropping feathers rapidly. His body was limp, and his breathing was so shallow that it was barely visible. _‘Hang in there, Shouto,’_ Izuku thought. _‘You have to be okay … you have to … please!’_

“He’s still alive, but I couldn’t bring him over until Dabi was restrained. I didn’t want to risk it,” Momo said. 

“You did the right thing,” Rei assured her. “Lay him down here, I will only take a moment to deal with Dabi.” 

At that, Rei walked over to the demon. Dabi was helpless to fight back as he was almost entirely encased in ice. He sneered at Rei as she approached and raised her hand to him, preparing to cast some sort of spell. 

“You wouldn't dare,” the demon spat. “I know you take no joy from killing, Rei. Would you really destroy me so easily?” 

“I don’t enjoy killing, but I’ll make an exception for you. Anything to protect my son,” she assured him, as her hand started to glow with bright purple light. 

Above them, storm clouds gathered rapidly. The previously blue sky darkened, and filled with massive grey clouds that slowly swirled around the central location that Rei was standing on. The elements seemed to obey her commands willingly, and as her arm glowed more, the pace of the clouds increased too. Rei opened her mouth to speak a single word, but to Izuku it was inaudible. It escaped her mouth in the form of thunder clapping against the horizon. 

Izuku didn’t recognize the spell, but he could feel the power emanating from it. _‘Rei is casting a word of power!’_ He had never felt one up close before, but he’d studied power words before and knew that they were nearly impossible to cast. Only the strongest of wizards were capable of understanding them, let alone speaking them. 

“This is for Shouto,” she told the demon. “But it is also for myself. You helped my husband for all those years, and now I’ll make sure you never hurt anyone again.” 

With that, the demon burst into flames uncontrollably. His human form faded once again, and he became a rising tower of blue light. He struggled, evidently trying his best to stay in the world for as long as he could. There was no point in fighting it, but he did anyways. In a split second, Dabi’s body transformed into a bolt of lightning and shot into the sky, as had been inevitable. 

The clouds dissipated from the sky, and the world lightened once more. Dabi was gone, seemingly for good. The ice around him was completely melted from the temperature of the fire and the lightning. The only sign he had been there only moments before was the burn mark he left in the grass where he had stood. 

“Is he ..” Izuku didn’t know how to finish the sentence. Dabi was definitely dead. 

“I destroyed him,” Rei told Izuku. “I took apart his form completely and broke him down to a being of pure energy, then returned that to the skies. The person known as Dabi is gone, and his essence was cleansed. The energy he became will go on to be something new in time. It might become a cloud, or fall as rain, or maybe even become a star once again. Either way, the evil he brought about is gone and whatever he becomes will emerge into the world as something pure.”

“Oh,” he replied. “In a way, that’s nice. After all the harm he caused, he’ll be reborn as something new. Maybe what forms from his death will go on to help people.” 

“Yes,” Rei agreed. “Now, we can focus on saving Shouto.” 

Izuku looked to the ground at where his boyfriend was lying. At Dabi’s death, the feathers had started to fall off his wings even faster. The black claws that had formed on his fingertips were receding back into his hand and the skin around them was returning to its normal human coloration. It was all happening slowly, but Shouto was returning to his true form. 

“He needs you to remind him what he has to return to,” Rei whispered to Izuku. 

At that, Uraraka lowered Izuku so he was kneeling by Shoto’s side. She made sure to set him down in a way that wouldn’t put pressure on his wounded ankle or his broken arm. The others gathered around him and Shouto, all holding their breath as he held the wizard’s heart in the palm of his hand. 

Izuku looked at Shouto. He had a wounded expression on his face. His brows were furrowed and he wore a slight grimace, like he was enduring pain even in his unconscious state. His breathing hadn’t improved at all, and Izuku had to watch his chest carefully to even notice the rise and fall. There was no point in checking for a pulse, as Izuku could feel it in the palm of his hand. The fragile heart that he was holding was the lifeforce keeping both Shouto and Shinsou in the world. It was so small and brittle, like it might get broken by the lightest touch. 

“Shouto, I’m here for you. You need to come back now,” he whispered to his boyfriend. 

As he said the words, Izuku felt a gust of wind come along and push against them. It blew against the feathers, stripping them from the wizard’s form and returning him to normal. The wings were entirely gone, and all that was left was a dying wizard who desperately needed his heart back. 

“Shinsou,” Izuku whispered. “When I give Shouto his heart back, what will happen to you?” 

“I think I’ll be alright as long as you’re the one who does it, Izuku. That’s why I chose you to break our contract,” the demon admitted. “I knew you were special the moment you walked in. You’ll protect us both, I know you will.” 

Izuku wanted to cry again. If anyone had told him he was special a month ago, he wouldn’t have believed them. He would have rolled his eyes at anyone who said there was magic hidden within him, let alone that said magic would be so unbelievably powerful. A month ago he wouldn't have believe anyone who said he would fall in love with the dark and powerful WIzard Todoroki. He’d believed that Todoroki was a cruel and malicious wizard who ate the hearts of beautiful people, not the kind and loving man who was so cautious with Izuku’s feelings. A month ago, Izuku would have never believed that anyone would love him, let alone that he would have Shoto’s love. _‘What a fool i was a month ago.’_

“If I can help you, I’ll do it,” Izuku promised. He looked deep within his heart and asked for the ability to keep both the demon and the man he loved alive. _‘I can use my magic to save them. I have to,’_ he told himself. “Shinsou, may you live for thousands of years to come! I promise that you’ll be free and have a long life of adventures after this. You won’t be trapped in another hearth again.” 

Then he leaned in closer to Shouto. He gazed upon the wizard’s beautiful face, praying that he could take away every ounce of pain he saw in his lover’s expression. Izuku brought the hand that held his boyfriend’s heart over the man’s rib cage, and prepared to return it. 

“Shouto,” Izuku whispered. “I promise you’ll be okay after this. You’re going to live, and you’re going to be able to love the way you keep telling yourself you can’t possibly do now. You’ll be safe, and free, and I promise I’ll take care of you. You have to be okay … you have to come back to me because I love you, Shouto. Please, I need you.” 

With that, he gently lowered the heart onto the wizard’s chest, and with a gentle push he pressed it through his chest. It sunk like a stone falling into a bog, and in its slow descent Izuku watched Shinsou disappear along with it. _‘This has to work. I can’t lose you, Shouto,’_ he thought. 

Everyone there watched along with Izuku, as they waited for any sign that the spell had worked. Shouto still lay on the ground, his feathers and wings almost completely gone now but his breathing only worsening. Izuku could feel himself starting to shake as his guts wrenched in anticipation. His throat formed into a lump, and he felt hot tears threatening to spill from his eyes at any moment. He blinked, and he could feel them gathering at the corners of his eyes like a warning. 

“Please,” he begged. He didn’t know if he was pleading with Shouto, or with the universe, or any gods that might have existed. He simply asked anything that would listen, that the man he loved would be returned to him safely. “Shouto, please come back to me” 

He closed his eyes as the tears started to escape him. He stifled a sob with the only hand he had left, and stared at the unmoving form of his boyfriend before him. _‘No! This can’t be happening! He has to be okay … we’ve come so far. I can’t lose him now, I only just found out he loves me!”_

He couldn't silence his sobs anymore, and they escaped his mouth audibly and broken. His vision was completely blurry from crying, and he felt Uraraka starting to wrap her arms around him and pull him close, when she suddenly stopped. Her hands froze on his shoulder. 

“Deku, look!”

As Izuku turned to see what had happened, he could see a light emerging from Shouto’s chest. It burst and shot sparks all around, as a tiny white ball of light rose into the air and paused on top of the wizard’s chest. The light seemed to look around in confusion, as if it were just as shocked as Izuku was at its arrival. It looked just like the stars that Izuku had watched falling his entire life, and it was just like the one that he’d helped Momo try to catch that day out in the Porthaven marshes. 

“Izuku,” the light called out to him in a familiar. “You did it! You really did it!”

“Shinsou?” 

“Of course. Who else would I be?” 

It was Shinsou, there was no doubt about it, but he sounded different. Even while the demon had no face, Izuku could hear his smile as he spoke. It was the happiest that Izuku had ever heard him in the time they’d known each other. 

“Shinsou! You’re alive! And you’re a star again!” 

“And it’s all thanks to you, Izuku,” the being of pure light reminded him. “I won’t forget everything that you’ve done for me. I hope that you make the most of the sixty or so years you have left, and make sure to take care of the wizard. I know neither of you will take care of yourselves, but maybe you’ll be okay if you watch out for each other.” 

“I .. I guess this is goodbye then?” 

“I’m afraid so,” the star confirmed. “Maybe you’ll see me in the night sky some time.” 

“I’ll be watching out for you,” Izuku whimpered through his tears. “I’ll miss you.” 

“Goodbye, Izuku. I think … I’ll miss you too. It’s funny, I didn’t think I would care about you so much. I guess you really grew on me.” 

“Yea,” Izuku chuckled dryly. “I’m like mold that way.” 

“No, you’re not. You’re like wildflowers,” the demon said, as he rose through the sky. “Take care, Izuku.”

As Shinsou soared above, he left trails of light and sparks that glimmered majestically as they faded away. The former demon darted across the horizon much like the other stars that Izuku had watched in his lifetime, but instead of plummeting to the ground and meeting a fixed and certain death, Shinsou’s new life was just starting. He had thousands of years ahead of him to dance across the sky and explore the universe. 

Had Izuku not been so distracted, he would have realized that he had gained a lifetime back as well. As he watched Shinsou leave, green washed over the grey strands of his hair and spread like watercolor. The wrinkles came out of his skin like a shirt, leaving him with only the crease that formed from his brows pressing close to one another out of worry. The pain left his old joints, but he wouldn’t notice that while so many of his bones were broken anyways. Even if he had noticed the changes, Izuku would have ignored them all anyways the moment he saw Shouto take his first real breath in minutes. 

“Izuku?” The wizard looked up at him, looking reasonably disoriented. A lot had happened since Shouto lost consciousness. 

“Shouto, you’re okay!” 

Izuku leaned over and wrapped his arm around his boyfriend to the best of his ability. Shouto didn’t hesitate to return the embrace, gently taking Izuku in his arms and holding him tight. He avoided touching Izuku’s broken arm, but he buried his face in his lover’s shoulder and took in the feeling of having him close once again. Shouto’s body was cold, but Izuku didn’t mind. He was more than happy to warm up his boyfriend with his own body heat. 

“You saved me, didn’t you?” 

“Well, it was more of a group effort,” Izuku admitted. 

“So modest,” Shouto laughed lightly. 

“Shouto,” Izuku sobbed. “You really had me worried. I thought I had actually lost you, and I couldn’t see you breathing, and I … I love you, Shouto. I’m so glad you’re okay.” 

“I wasn’t sure where I was, but I could hear you calling me back. I knew you’d be able to break the contract, Izuku.” 

“Do you remember seeing me all those years ago when you first met Shinsou?” 

“I looked for you every day after that, but I didn’t even realize I had found you until very recently. You looked very different back then, but you’re most beautiful like this,” the wizard said as he brushed a hand through Izuku’s emerald curls. “Your hair is like a forest.” 

Izuku looked up and suddenly noticed the changes that had happened. He could see the natural green color that his hair had been his entire life. It was familiar, like seeing an old friend after months of being away. A smile formed on his lips as he realized that he was free at last from Endeavor’s curse, and that he had sixty years of his life returned t him so that he could live them however he chose. 

“Oh! Do you like it?” 

“I do,” Shoto said with a gentle nod and a big smile. 

“So do I!” 

With that, Izuku pulled Shoto even tighter to himself and pressed a kiss against the wizard’s soft lips. It was nothing like the kisses they had shared before. In the past, their kisses had been desperate or hurried, as they didn’t know how much time they each had left, but now there was nothing to make them feel that way. There was no looming fear that Endeavor might find them, and they had no curses to worry about anymore. They were simply two young men who were very much in love with each other, and had nothing to be afraid of anymore. 

Izuku’s lips moved against those of the wizard and he felt the other man’s tongue enter his mouth while Shouto ran his hand through Izuku’s luscious green curls. It was a kiss of passion, and love, and utter relief that now the horrors that had been chasing them since they met were finally gone. They had no one to be afraid of, and nowhere to be. They had only each other, and a long lifetime ahead of them to share. 

Shouto pulled away from the kiss and looked Izuku in the eyes, pure adoration and gratitude painted on his face. He cupped his boyfriend’s cheek lovingly, and smiled up at him. 

“Izuku Midoriya, I love you,” he whispered. “I needed you to be the first person I said that too, now that I have my heart back. It … hurts. It feels like there’s a weight on my chest like I’ve never known before, and all these feelings that I didn’t know I was missing are back once again … but my feelings for you never changed.”

“Your heart hurts? Are you alright? Are you sure it worked? Maybe we should stop if-” 

Shoto gently rubbed his thumb along Izuku’s cheek tenderly, distracting him from his ramblings and worries. 

“Shhh,” Shoto hushed. “I think this is just how hearts feel. It’s been so long since I had one, I forgot how it felt.” 

“Do you feel any different otherwise?” 

“It’s unclear, but I know one thing,” Shoto assured him. “I still love you just as much as I did when I thought it was impossible for me to love anyone. It shouldn’t be possible to love without a heart, but you seem to defy everything I know about magic. You’re really someone special, and I’m lucky to have you in my life.” 

“I think I’m the lucky one,” he said as he felt warm tears of joy falling from his eyes. “love you too, Shouto.” 

He knew that they would have to get up in a minute and take care of everything in the aftermath. They were wounded and hurting, and their home was destroyed now. The would have to clean things up and find somewhere to go, but in that moment izuku couldn’t be bothered with any of it. He only wanted to hold the man he loved and thank whatever forces of the universe allowed them to be together, and brought Shouto back to him. He pressed his lips to the wizard’s one more time, just for good measure. _‘I think Uraraka was right,’_ he thought. _‘Everything is going to be just fine now.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ty for reading this far! Shoutout to you guys for reading like 130,000+ words at this point! 
> 
> The next chapter(s) will be wrapping things up. We have to finish up the book/movie ending scene and then I want to write a brief epilogue of them living together happily ever after now that they can just be guys in love and not have to worry about certain death and curses and drama. Also, I need to write about Jirou and Momo's ending as well as All Might and Tsukauchi's ending and then the individual character's endings and how Rei gets to live a happy life and stuff so yea! Not ending this chapter, maybe not ending next chapter, probably no more after that!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, thanks for reading! This is my first fanfic I haven't immediately deleted after trying to revise it, so I hope it's not horrible! Howl's Moving Castle is one of my favorite stories so I drew from both book and movie elements. The castle is way cooler in the movie, but the book has a lot more plot elements that I enjoy. I love both, so I figured why not. I also feel like there wasn't enough setup for Howl and Sophie's feelings for each other in the book so get ready for some mutual pining (･u<)☆
> 
> Also? I love Todoroki and Deku so much, both as characters and together. They're so good for each other and I get so overly emotional thinking about them? I've been making my sister watch the show and I just got her through the Sports Festival Arc and I'm not crying you're crying! Anyways I'm writing chapter 2 rn. 
> 
> Feel free to leave comments/questions/kudos/suggestions if you want! I'm a bit nervous about actually letting other people see what I write but I'm doing it anyways!


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